[SU/D] Final Fantasy XII: The Archadian Epoch

[Martel]

Final Fantasy XII: The Archadian Epoch​

Premise

Once again, Ivalice was in a state of war, the likes of which had not been seen since before the founding of the Galtean Alliance. The heir to the throne of Nabradia, Veltan Elygas, requested the aid of Rozarria to drive out the forces that opposed him. Fearing an invasion of the Valendian continent by its sworn enemy, Rozarria, would follow once the Civil War in Nabradia had been resolved, Archadia immediately exerted political pressure on the small kingdom, backing the other heir to the throne, Renais Elgyas. Yet neither Rozarria nor the new King of Nabradia acceded to their demands, and the Emperor of Archadia was compelled to use force. Yet for all her military might, Archadia was unable to pierce the defences of Nabradia; support from Rozarria enabled them to hold, and threatened for a time to drive Archadia back, drastically reducing her territories. Superior tactics help against superior numbers, and many were the lives that the Archadian Empire lost in attempting to force capitulation.

It was then that the might of the Archadian Judges was unleashed upon Nabradia. Calling forth the Espers, those who had been bound to the Glyph of the Beast by the Gods themselves, and who had not set foot upon Ivalice since the Age of the Gods, they laid waste to the city within a single night, bringing forth Mist and transforming the once prosperous nation into a barren wasteland for all eternity; a stark reminder to all those who would seek to oppose the might of Archadia. Yet the Kingdom of Dalmasca also stood in opposition; by the blood ties of the Dynast King of old, Dalmasca and Nabradia stood together against the might of the Archadian Empire at Nalbina Fortress.

No quarter was given, and the bloodlines of both House Nabradia and House Dalmasca were lost in the final conflict, prompting those who remained to accept Archadia’s terms of surrender. Rozarria, badly scarred by her skirmish with Archadia, was forced to retreat, and it was with great pride that the Emperor of Archadia declared himself to be the new Dynast King, consolidating the lands won in conquest whilst simultaneously relieving himself of the political pressure that he had been placed under for the campaign which, until that point, had been a disaster. But with the might of the Scions at his command, could there be any doubt he was Ivalice’s new Dynast King; Raithwall reborn? Whilst those most holy relics wielded by the Dynast King, the Nethicite, eluded his grasp still, it was but a mere technicality in the face of the power that he did wield.

With the destruction of Nabradia and annexation of Dalmasca, the sovereign state of Archadia was left unopposed, and continued to consolidate her territories, encountering only small pockets of resistance which were easily crushed by her Judges. Rozarrian borders were slowly pushed back, and rumours of negotiations for peace treaties were ripe amongst the people; it was only a matter time before the Dynast King of Archadia became the Dynast King of Ivalice in truth. With House Dalmasca destroyed, Archadia dispatched a consul to rule the once free state in the year 706 Old Valendian, marking their arrival in Rabanastre with a festival the likes of which none had ever seen. Indeed, it proved to be a festival the likes of which the people would never see again, marking the end of one Age and the beginning of another, which later came to be known with the passage of time as the Age of the Scions.

~ From the annals of Marquis Ma’iq Theron III, Prelude to The Archadian Epoch

Notes​

1. Before you do anything else, go read the Information Thread. This has a brief timeline of the Old Valendian period for this RP (as in, it is NOT the same as the timeline presented in FFXII, and some of the added events will be integral to the plot) as well as details on the jobs and the abilities they bestow upon the user. I did not type all this out for fun (it was fun, but that is beside the point) and if anyone asks me a question which the Information Thread contains the answer to, I will be very, VERY annoyed.
2. This RP is loosely inspired by Final Fantasy XII, and as such is set in Ivalice. The Ivalice we will be using is the one depicted in Final Fantasy XII. These are the areas of Ivalice that will be accessible over the course of the RP but, by all means, your character may come from somewhere else on Ivalice.
3. You may play a character from any race native to Ivalice, except for the Occuria. Just make sure you do your research if you are playing as a character from a race that wasn’t in Final Fantasy XII; e.g. Gria or Aegyl.
4. Only Judges will have their Espers to begin with; protagonists will earn their Esper over the course of the RP.
5. Your Job will determine which Esper you obtain. A list of available characters and job/Esper combinations is below; please refer to this and the Information Thread before you make a character.
6. All Job abilities will be available to characters from the start of the RP. But use your common sense; you know how all these jobs work by now, and what their strengths and weaknesses are; who they will stack up well against, and who will crush them. Keep this in mind before you start throwing your weight around...and remember that an Esper gives an overwhelming advantage, so going up against Judges you would normally have an advantage against would result in a very quick death.
7. That said, creativity is encouraged. Want to use Gravity to launch yourself into the air? Decoy to make a duplicate of yourself that runs off in the opposite direction? Go for it! Make battles fun, just use your common sense. You know what to do~
8. In this RP, the level of the equipment that a character is able to use will reflect their capabilities in that area. As an example, a White Mage is capable of equipping up to Mystic Armour (13) in game. This would give them a much greater resistance to magic than a Breaker, who cannot equip Mystic Armour at all. However, a Breaker is capable of equipping Heavy Armour (12), granting them an extremely high physical resistance in comparison. A Breaker would also be considerably slower than a White Mage as a result, because their armour is heavier. Logical, no? The same applies for weapons: the higher the weapon level you could equip, the better you can use it.
9. For the sake of simplicity, Technicks and Accessories are going to be ignored. If you can think of a way to practically implement them, however, I would love to hear it.
10. Your character will only be able to use the weapons they have a license for. This does not mean if you give a White Mage a gun they won’t be able to use it, but they won’t have any degree of knowledge of how to use it well, so it’d be effectively useless to them. Obviously, the stronger the magic, the longer the casting time.

Rules​

1. That usual stuff about godmodding, metagaming etc. applies to this RP. Common sense, common courtesy, practice them both.
2. Active participation is required. This includes discussion with others about how the plot is going to advance, posting once every three days minimum (unless you have a good reason not to that is NOT “I have no muse”, and notification in advance of the fact is much appreciated) and not just attempting to cruise on through. Keep up or keep out.
3. For crying out loud, be realistic when it comes to your job skills, and do your research about what you can and can’t use or do. I have included a list in the information thread detailing each job’s capabilities for your convenience; make use of it, if you would.
4. One strike and you’re out; misbehaving, excessively bad grammar, or unexplained lack of participation is not tolerated.

Character Template​

Name: [the name of your character]
Alias: [The alias of your character. For Judge Magisters, and anyone else who feels they need one.]
Age: [Your character's age. 18+ please.]
Gender: [Male or Female]
Race: [Remember, you may play as any race native to Ivalice except for the Occuria.]
Job: [Your character's Job]
Esper: [Your character's Esper]
Weapons: [The weapons your character carries. These must be weapons your Job allows you to equip, but you can make up names for said weapons, etc]
Appearance: [What your character looks like]
Personality: [Be detailed.]
History: [Be detailed, and try not to contradict the timeline, for crying out loud]
Character theme:
Battle theme:

Cast of Characters

Antagonists
Dalmascan Consul [Job: Monk] [Esper: Ultima, The High Seraph] – RESERVED [Otto Von Bismarck]
Judge #1 [Job: Knight] [Esper: Hashmal]
Judge #2 [Job: Time Mage] [Esper: Exodus] – RESERVED [Mitsuru Kirijo]
Judge #3 [Job: Red Mage] [Esper: Zeromus] – RESERVED [Martel]
Judge #4 [Job: Uhlan] [Esper: Chaos]

Protagonists

Dalmascan Monarch [Job: White Mage] [Esper: Belias] – RESERVED [Mitsuru Kirijo]
Character #2 [Job: Machinist] [Esper: Zalera] – RESERVED [Martel]
Character #3 [Job: Breaker] [Esper:Cuchulainn]
Character #4 [Job: Archer] [Esper: Shemhazai] – RESERVED [Technocrat]
Character #5 [Job: Black Mage] [Esper: Adrammelech] – RESERVED [Martel]
Character #6 [Job: Mononofu] [Esper: Famfrit]
Character #7 [Job: Shikari] [Esper: Mateus]

---

OK, the Information Thread is still under construction, but the most important stuff - the Old Valendian timeline and the data on Jobs - is up there. The rest of it I can get off the FF Wiki at my leisure, so if you absolutely must know what Ivalice looks like, or what attacks your Esper can use right NOW, look there for the time being. I plan on finishing it over the weekend; it'll have everything you need to know in there to save you the trouble of looking it all up. You can thank me later.

This RP will start on the 1st of June at the latest. I'd like to start before that date, but this gives you time to write your bios and come up with a plan for your character, and gives me time to link it all together so it flows nicely and nobody gets cast adrift.

My bios will be up over the weekend, or shortly afterwards. I need to get Apocrypha and Checkmate sorted out as well and, since I'll be getting my laptop back today, I shall have the means to do so.

 

[Gaige]

Name: Rowan DalmascaAlias: Prince of Dalmasca
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Race: Hume
Job: White Mage
Esper: Belias, the Gigas
Weapons: Dual daggers, mostly straight with a slight curve at the end. Largely ceremonial in use, they can still pierce flesh, though will have trouble getting through armor. They are emblazoned with the crest of Dalmasca on the hilts.


Appearance: Very short at five foot four, with chestnut brown, wavy hair in a short, slightly tousled style, Rowan has a slender build without much muscle. He has green, round eyes, is slightly underweight, and typically wears light mystic armor, mostly blue with streaks of black and white running through it. This armor is composed of chest armor, greaves, gloves, and no helmet. A simple, white leather belt loops around his waist, fitted with holsters for the sake of keeping his knives held while he isn't in combat.

Rowan has an angular face, with a strong jaw and cheekbones. He is slightly pale in complexion, and smooth, looking younger than he is due to his height, weight, and aforementioned complexion.

Personality: Rowan possesses many of the traits a typical spoiled prince would exhibit. A sense of entitlement, arrogance, little time for someone who does not yield results, and high expectations that he himself can not uphold very well. Were it not for his distinct lack of physical prowess, he could almost be considered brutish in his mannerisms and speeches.

He has a rather pronounced Napoleon complex, and will often sulk if considered too young, short, or weak. He is the type to become determined to prove his ability in a circumstance in which he is told he is inadequate, and is likely to become significantly more reckless than normal in his pursuit of worth and desire to be evaluated and considered worthy, regardless of what the thing he is supposedly unworthy of is.

He displays cynicism, emotional outbursts, and mood swings. Expressions from Rowan are huge and easily readable. He is prone to fury, tears, joy, and despair at their absolute extremes, and expresses them fully, often in private, though occasionally in public.

He displays an odd middle ground between distrust and disdain for anyone who doesn't outright ally themselves with his cause. Their own self preservation and reasons do not matter to him. Those who outright oppose him and his country are simply enemies to be cut down. He has a lot of trouble feeling compassion and empathy, though not with displaying emotions as an overall barrier against the world.

Deep down, he is quite the scared little child. He was wrest from his comfortable life at age sixteen and made into a resistance figurehead from that same age. He feels some resentment, as if he were robbed of his childhood. But at the same time he feels as if he has no right to express his resentment, and that it can wait for another time. However, he never was good at hiding his feelings.


History: Rowan grew up in the midst of political intrigue, and put great value in the knowledge he received. However, the ideals he developed as he grew up were less calm and reserved than those of his fathers, and often came down to plans of resistance, rebellion, and war. Negotiations were never worth it in his eyes unless he could directly or indirectly benefit Dalmasca with them.

The King, fearing for his son's future as a royal, tried to quell his violent nature by forcing him into practicing the arts of a White Mage, trying to instill an appreciation for and understanding of life into his youngest son. For a long time, Rowan resented his father greatly for the maneuver. A White Mage's duties were not typically a male's duties; least of all a Prince's, who was expected to practice swordplay and, at a push, Black Magic. He was the laughing stock of Dalmasca for a time, dubbed "The Pacifist Prince." However, as he continued with his practice, he did garner a stronger appreciation for life. However, at the same time, this made him even more determined to use less than peaceful means to achieve independence.

It was when Rowan went out into the field for the first time that he got hurt. It was during the final battle in the civil war, and he was acting as a healer in a tent near the main battle. A Firaga spell reflected off a Paling and wiped out almost everyone in the tent, leaving Rowan himself clinging to life. He was rescued by loyalists and kept in Rabanastre, where he was used as a figurehead, despite the fact that he was grieving over the death of his father, mother and brothers. He received a warm welcome from the blossoming resistance, even receiving an airship from Bhujerban loyalists that was kept in a secret place on the Giza Plains.

Ever since that day, three years ago, Rowan has been hardening himself for battle with the Archadians, and has grown rather bitter and cynical.


Character theme: TBD

Battle theme: TBD

 

[Merung]

I'll be possibly writing a bio for Judge #4 later today, just waiting for a response to my PM.

 

[Noblesse Oblige]

-Name:
William Luther Avaranches

-Alias:
Consul of the Imperial Free Province of Dalmasca

-Age:
27

-Gender:
Male

-Race:
Hume

-Job Class:
Monk

-Esper:
None Currently Equipped (Will acquire Ultima, the High Seraph as story progresses)

-Weapon:

Hand to Hand:
William is skilled as an unarmed combatant, utilizing his skills in boxing and various Mixed Martial Arts to subdue his opponents. He is a skilled combatant at the sport despite not escorting to such "barbaric matters." He was known to have knocked out an opponent in three rounds in a friendly match.

Poles:
Type: Battle Bamboo: A standard Pole made of Bamboo, it is uniquely made with several ornate designs. Because of the thickness of Bamboo, it's heavy, yet durable to resist weapon strikes from swords and other bladed weapon.

-Appearance:
William stands at 5'10" and weighs 175 lbs. He is of a strong physical build and William has light blue eyes and shoulder-length, smooth, black hair. His facial features include an angular face, with strong yet small jaw and cheekbones. William has a pale, yet smooth complexion.

He wears a blue jacket with gold pauldrons ordained with his family emblem, a griffon holding a tome. William wears a light blue pants, light-grey gloves, a cloak covered in a deep royal blue, and white, and a golden belt, ordained with his family emblem.

-Personality:
William is a man who would seem belongs in politics. William is a devious and shrewd politician, a fully capable administrator and diplomat, and is well versed with military strategy. William is a pragmatic individual. He knows what strategies that would land him in deep trouble. But he also knows some of the rewards that would benefit him and advance his position. He is ambitious, yet he doesn't show himself as arrogant.

In William's eyes, everything to him is treated like business, he is willing to cut deals if it is beneficial to him, and would be willing to concede things if it will only put him in a stronger position because of it. William has great difficulty in trusting others. He sees other people as just "a part of a different business." While he has a high patience for failure, due to him figuring ways to salvage it into a victory however minor it may seem, he dislikes the notion of putting his trust in others, and even discerns the feelings of love.

However despite his business-like and somewhat cold demeanor, he is also very forward thinking, even by Archadian standards. His knowledge in State Administration allows him to see the various problems the Archadian state and even those of Dalmasca they have had. He is considered by many Imperial politicians as very liberal, and many powerful men consider him a threat to their already established power. While William has some strong beliefs in the Archadian Senate, he also completely despises many of the senators in power, and would love to see them off and replaced with those with similar ideas.

-History:
William Avranches was born in the Archadian Imperial Capital in Old Valendian Year 679. He was descended from a lower-middle class banking clan during the era of the Archades Republic. The family rose through the ranks, using their funds to help sway and support various members of the Archadian aristocracy, from influential senators to, the various nobles and imperial family members after the transition to an Imperial Administration. As a child William was taught by the best tutors the Empire had to offer. He learned various languages, Arithmetic, Science, History and the Arts, all while living a comfortable life with the aristocracy. Much to the expectations, or rather exceeding others expectation, William was very competitive, striving to match and sometimes outdo his teachers in their knowledge of the subjects they taught. This capacity would lead to him attending a prestigious university, where William learned about diplomacy, and military matters. He was able to do all of this while practicing his knowledge of bureaucracy and administration.

While in the university William joined the local martial arts club. There the man would learn skills in the art of boxing and other martial arts styles. Just like his academics, he showed a streak of competitiveness, seeking to better himself so he could be the absolute best. This also began his more ambitious streak, seeking to use the skills he knew as well as the knowledge he can gain to further himself. After William graduated in 701 he served as part of an independent diplomatic and military detachment to Nabradia, and remained there during the War of the Nabradian Succession that occurred two years later. It was by playing the two sides against each other and manipulating the actions behind the scenes that led to the Archadian intervention and eventual annexation of Narbadia and Dalmasca over the next several years.

After the wars, he would return home to Archadia where he was chosen to replace a recently deceased senator and complete the rest of his term in the Senate. While William took the position, he was embittered by the lack of real power the Senate had and also by the Senators who had what little power using what they could to try and maintain their power and wealth at the expense of many of the lesser nobles, a position William himself had occupied. Once the remainder of his term was up, he quietly left the position, returning to his personal estate.

The Emperor who wanted to end the Nationalist Sentiment in Dalmasca by sending someone as first consul to the state. The consul would then turn to him, who knows of William's capabilities in administrative and military matters, something that would come in handy in subjugating the Dalmascans into Archadian statehood. While it is a job that no one else in the Empire desired or even wanted, for William it is an opportunity to build a power base for his future ambitions.

Character Theme:

Battle Theme:

 

[Merung]

Name: Ephrain Aenthe Nemyros (born Ephrain Gilad Vindlev)

Alias: Judge Nemyros

Age: 31

Gender: Male

Race: Hume

Job: Uhlan

Esper: Chaos, Walker of the Wheel

Weapons: The Gungnir, a spear imbued with fire-elemental magicks, a weapon Nemyros handles with deadly precision.

Appearance: Armored (excuse the rushed Photoshop job) and unarmored (ignore the gun).

Personality: Nemyros appears reserved and calculative, a highly experienced professional fiercely determined to fight for his country. A somewhat naive idealist, he's constantly troubled by his relationship with the Archadian regime and the violent history his bloodline shares with the ruling house. Nemyros believes he serves not the Emperor, but Archadia herself, and doing the monarch's will is currently the only way to make a difference. These thoughts, however, he keeps only to himself. As a military leader, he is highly tactical and brutally efficient, but avoids head-on assaults to minimize civilian casualties. An advocate of diplomacy, he is occasionally disgusted by the atrocities committed in the Emperor's name, but is often forced to dismiss them as necessary actions to bring stability to the land. Nemyros rarely enjoys the company of others and has a distaste for idle chatter, but nevertheless enjoys engaging in profound conversations with his colleagues, the few people he respects despite the distrust he has for them.

History: Ephrain Gilad Vindlev, the man who would become to be known as Judge Nemyros, was born at Balfonheim Port in 675 Old Valendian, the son of Verod Vindlev, the Port's blacksmith. The oldest of three children, Ephrain grew highly protective of his two younger sisters when their mother died in 681. The family led a fairly mundane existence until 691, when Ephrain turned sixteen. Lying on his deathbed, Verod revealed to his son that he was not a Vindlev, but a Nemyros: member of the noble house that once held the throne of Archadia, and was presumed to have died out once House Thrace rose to power. In reality, Aenthe Nemyros, the Emperor’s only brother, had managed to go into hiding under a false identity, starting the Vindlev bloodline. With his last breath, the blacksmith urged his son to restore the Nemyros name and make more of himself than a mere commoner. As life seeped out of his father, Ephrain’s mind was set: he would serve Archadia as she was meant to be served.

Leaving his siblings to their uncle’s care, Ephrain left for Archades and enlisted in the military while legally changing his name to Ephrain Aenthe Nemyros. His presence didn’t cause much of a reaction initially, but as he proved his worth over the years and rose up the ranks, the people of the capital began to take notice. Many lended their support to him, though he didn’t care much for politics, much less than he cared about overthrowing Emperor Thrace. In 704, when war was declared between Archadia and Dalmasca, the 29-year-old Nemyros was appointed Judge Magister to lead the Imperial armies to the battlefields. Suspicious of the Emperor’s motivations in doing so, he nevertheless accepted the honor and focused his efforts on bringing victory to the Empire.

Character theme: Les Discrets - Le Souffle Froid

Battle theme: Subheim - December

 

[Abstract Debauchery]

Name: Miera

Alias: n/a

Age: 18

Gender: Male

Race: Feol Viera

Job: Archer

Esper: Shemhazai

Weapons: A somewhat large black and brown longbow. It has no name, as Miera doesn’t see the point in naming a weapon. Strapped around her back is a quiver filled with no more than 57 arrows.

Appearance:

Miera stands in at 5’5 tall, making her an average height among Humes but much below average when it comes to Viera. If it were not for her ears, she would easily pass for a Hume. Her hair is long and blonde (so much to the point where it actually looks white depending on the light she’s in) and stretches down to the small of her back. Her eyes are rather unique in the fact that her right eye is blue while her left eye is strangely red. Her build is slender and light framed.

The clothes she wears are rather nice for her standing. She wears a long skirt that goes down to her ankles and is large enough to completely cover her feet from others. Her arms are exposed as the blouse she wears is short sleeved. Around her neck she wears a fancy scarf with a tiny pattern on it.

Personality: Miera is somewhat… distant, if not a tad rude. She doesn’t try to be, but given where she has lived and how others treat her, it’s hard for her to be nice. So as such, when first speaking to her she can be snappy and rude. However, after a while she tends to get a bit normal and start speaking calmly and a bit more nicely to others. By default, however, she is very untrusting and doesn’t enjoy conversation as she finds that most other people are rude, mean, or simply out to use someone else.

Once she gets comfortable enough around people, she tends to open up. Conversations with her can be rather fun and enjoyable. They’ll find that Miera likes to tell jokes (especially puns) and laugh. Once befriended, most find they have a rather good friend for life. She’ll get to the point where she’ll go out of her way to do things to make them happy.

In combat, she typically goes dead quiet. While she doesn’t enjoy killing, she’s able to recognize the reasons for it. In those instances, she goes somewhat numb to things around her and simply does her task. She’ll shoot for the neck or heart without pause. When fighting with a friend, she’ll always put their safety above her own by shooting at enemies closer to them rather than enemies closer to her. Miera simply likes to get combat over with as quickly as possible.

She has a rather… askew sense of justice. She believes that every case should be tried individually and that there shouldn’t be a pre-determined sentence for it. The individual should be tried and questioned for why he did it, what brought him to it, and if the reasoning is good enough, then the sentence should be given. Innocence until proven guilty; not guilty until proven innocent. Miera is a thief because most people will not hire her, and she needs to make a living. If ever caught, she would like to think

Another quirk about her is her fashion of putting logic before emotion. Sometimes, this will come off as rude to others, but she quickly apologizes for it. Even when it comes to her own emotions, she always puts her feelings in the back seat and tries to do the most logical thing. For example, if she had to kill one to save one hundred, she would kill the one. It would bother her for doing so, but she would recognize the reasoning behind it.

Miera longs to be a Hume, but knows that will never happen. Yet she still goes through great lengths to appear as such. For example, she trims her nails on both her hands and her feet. She does this not only to be able to walk on the flats of her feet, but to appear and feel just a bit more like a Hume.

History: Miera has lived in Rabanastre for the large majority of her life. She knows of the political turmoil that currently surrounds the city, but she doesn’t care much for it. She spends her time in the city as a thief. However, she only steals items that people either clearly don’t want, or from people that honestly don’t need them. She has no qualms from stealing from the rich. Especially when she believes that the vast majority of the rich only got that way from stepping all over the poor to get there.

Her parents died at a rather young age, and because of this she has been on her own. While she struggled at first, she quickly taught herself how to survive. Too weak for swords and the such, she picked up the bow and learned how to hunt outside the walls of the city. When she needed money, she stole it. Sometimes she got caught, most of the time she was able to get away. Eventually she would learn how to get away with it 99% of the time. She always made sure to steal from those she knew had enough to spare.

From time to time, she’ll travel through the sewers in attempts to sneak into much more… profitable parts of town. It took her a few years and days of being lost at a time, but she has managed to learn the routes of the large sewers beneath the city. In fact, she’s made her home in one of the cleaner areas. She even gave it all the comforts of home, such as a door to the area, lamps, a rug, a bed, table, etc. A few people have stumbled upon it, but she manages to convince them to leave. It’s her own little place of solitude.

Today she mostly keeps to herself, but steals things for clients from time to time. When she isn’t doing that, she’s practicing her aim with the bow, making arrows, eating at the tavern, or just exploring the city or sewers.

Character theme:

Battle Theme:

 

[Gaige]

Name: Fiora Ristorana

Alias: Judge Aevum

Age: 670

Gender: Female

Race: Hume

Job: Time Mage

Esper: Exodus, the Judge Sal

Weapons: Tryst: A bowgun that rapidly fires arrows at the enemy. She also wields a one handed sword for close range combat.

Appearance: Fiora possesses a lithe, thin frame, on the cusp of underweight and healthy, leaning towards the latter. With a rather tall height of five foot eleven inches, she possesses a pale complexion, but despite this has a wiry muscle tone that one would not be able to tell without a closer look. Platinum blond hair extends to her middle back, and she has narrow green eyes in an angular face, with a strong cheekbone and jaw.

She wears a full suit of Judge Magister’s armour, emblazoned with the Archadian crest. Tucking her hair up into the helmet; this, like many Judge Magisters’s helmets, is horned. She appears to be a woman in her mid-thirties, with the beginnings of wrinkles forming on her face.

Personality: Fiora is a woman of few words. She doesn’t speak unless she deigns it necessary, and she rarely does. She usually waits to be asked for advice before she parts with it, but will rarely speak the first word.

Having lived a very long life, she has become cynical and jaded by what she has seen. Having seen several countries, emperors, and people of power rise and fall over her life, she expects very little from the people of Ivalice, and often unintentionally views them as sheep who can’t think on their own before she can stop herself.

She views the supernatural and transhuman with extreme caution, believing that the races of Ivalice must not become blinded and attempt to rise to power beyond their normal lives/ She believes everyone to be equally susceptible to corruption by this supernatural aspect, and that a fine line should be drawn between humans and gods.

She is a follower and enforcer of order, and in truth an Emperor, Consul, or Senator of Archadia is low on her priority list for protection and servitude. She serves Archadia itself over any bureaucrat, and serves Ivalice over Archadia. She is capable of and fully willing to engage in violence, power struggles, and self-sacrifice and the sacrifice of others for the greater good, all without the slightest trace of true emotion.

History: Fiora was born in early Old Valendia; after Raithwall became Dynast King but before his death. From her early teenage years Fiora was experimenting with Magick. After learning a few White Magick basics she decided the role of healer wasn’t for her, and became enamoured with Time Magick; the prospect of meddling with the boundaries of space and time insurmountably attractive to her young mind.

While she only dabbled in it when she was young, as she grew older she became completely devoted to learning the ins and outs of time and space, especially when it came to slowing and stopping her aging process so that she could master her craft.

At the age of 25, shortly after Raithwall’s death, she slowed her aging process to a crawl with Time Magic, and spent a long time travelling the world, both in and outside of Ivalice. Viewing the world’s atrocities and coming close to death a view times herself embittered her greatly, although she still held some semblance of optimism within her.

Three centuries later, she returned to her homeland to find a Republic had been formed there. Viewing the order and promise it showed, she entered the city to continue her research, and became a court mage very quickly, eventually perfecting her immortality at the age of 300; in the body of a 35 year old woman. For a long time, she was content to pursue her research in peace and quiet.

However, sixty years after she had perfected her agelessness, the House of Raithwallw as severed, and two years later, the Galtean alliance was broken as several countries around Ivalice declared total; independence. About sixty years later, tensions rose in Archadia as debates as to whether a more powerful style of leadership was needed, rather than a Sovereign Republic. Low key, under the radar assassinations were relatively rife around Archadia, and Fiora herself was the target of a few, all of which she foiled with Time Magick.

Twenty years later, the first Emperor was crowned, and somewhat unwillingly, Fiora was made into a Judge. After proving her service to Archadia over several years and turning down a number of offers to become Judge Magister, she eventually became a Magister during the Rozzaria-Archadia war. The first major battle was a loss and Fiora used her Time Magick to cover a retreat, slowing and stopping a large part of the Rozzarian forces, confining herself to bed for several days due to the strain on her.

A few years later, monsters and large accumulations of Mist appeared in Archades and the surrounding areas, and Fiora began to suspect that the Emperor was dabbling in things he ought not. She investigated under the radar, but spent too much time protecting civilians from the emerging abominations to truly look into it until the Mist and what it brought forth faded much later. It was at this time that her long life’s sense of justice and cynicism was cemented.

Over the next several years, Fiora would come to acquaint herself with the Thrace family. Believing that the Empire under the current Emperor was flawed and doomed to fall, she leaked vital information to the Thrace family, and was involved in his assassination personally, although she was not the one to bring him down herself.

Where she had been the target of assassinations before, now she was the assassin. Those who rose against the Thrace family’s claims to power were swiftly silenced by her and, to a lesser extent, other assassins. She would also come to protect members of the family against other assassination attempts. She was the sword and shield of the Thrace Dynasty.

Shortly after this, Fiora participated in the next battle of Archadia and Rozzaria, this time helping Archadia come out on top and pushing forward to reclaim several territories lost in the first battle along with the Archadian troops.

As odd events began to unfold again, such as the Golmore Jungle burning down and a Magick caused fire burning down much of Archades, she was once again unable to investigate due to being involved in civilian protection and restoration during and after the fire. When the Emperor claimed the post of Dynast King several years later and rumours of Archadian involvement in the Nabudis assassination and stealing of the Midlight Shard reached her, her suspicions began to rise again.

However, she had little time to think as Archadian scientists in the Draklor laboratory began experimenting with and extracting Espers from ruins and historical locations, and granting them to specific people. She too was planned to be given an Esper within a couple of years, but first she had to take part in the war of Nabradia, although the use of Prince Renais as a puppet repulsed her.

Fiora and her fellow Judge Magisters, including two who had already obtained their Espers, decimated the opposing Nabradian forces, as well as the Dalmascan and Rozzarian allies who had come to their aid.

Fiora became involved in the battle of Nalbina Fortress, using her Time Magick to subjugate the enemy and lock down vital points around the battlefield to allow for a tactical advantage. The surrender of both Nabradia and Dalmasca soon followed. She returned to Archades for negotiations, although she was not informed of the plot to assassinate Prince Renais after he signed the Treaty.

While a new consul was appointed to Dalmasca, Fiora remained in Archades, having been informed that she would be granted her Esper soon; a notion that sets her on edge.

Character theme: TBD

Battle theme: TBD

 

[Martel]

Ringo and Diar, you're both accepted.

Galmski and Merung: Could you perhaps add a little more (maybe a paragraph or two) to the personality and history sections to your bios, please? I typically ask for ridiculously detailed bios, but considering the planning we've done via PM, I won't be a complete ass about it. But nonetheless, they're a little too short for me to feel comfortable accepting as they are right now. xD;

As an update, the start date of this RP has been pushed back to Tuesday the 5th of June, by request. We WILL start on that date though; this much I can promise. In the meantime, I should be able to write out some NPCs, and cement exactly where we're all going to be, etc, so expect a PM from me over the weekend confirming things. This will also give some time to those who have yet to submit bios, and those who are thinking of doing so, some time to do so. I apologise if you were looking forward to starting today, but...that's how it is. I want everyone on the same page when we do start, so~

My bios will be up over the weekend.

 

[Martel]

Double post, because I can

My three character bios. I hope to get the chance to finish some of the NPCs off today~

Name: Liandra Mithra Telethen
Aliases: Laverna (as a mercenary or by way of casual introduction), Xanthe the Black (as an assassin)
Age: 56
Gender: Female
Race: Feol Viera
Job: Machinist
Esper: Zalera, the Death Seraph

Weapons: Laverna’s primary weapon is a one-handed rifle the length of her forearm, with a depiction of Zalera, the Death Seraph, laid in fine gold along the barrel, culminating with a small (albeit chipped and dull) torso of a woman at the end of the barrel. This is capable of firing eight shots before she needs to reload it, which takes her approximately twenty eight seconds; although times vary depending on her situation: under pressure and with supplies laid out, she can cut that time down by ten seconds; on the move in combat, it may take up to a minute. The gun has minimal kickback, although it is not quite capable of providing the force required to dent armour or stronger monster hide unless she fires it at point blank range, or concentrates multiple shots on one point. The weaker of her two rifles, it is nonetheless considerably more practical, and her first choice in combat, as it allows her to fire more than once at a time.

Her second weapon, usually slung across her back, is a plain, rather worn and antiquated rifle, although it is considerably more powerful than its more modern counterpart. With a far greater range than her normal rifle, it is designed to be used when she is stationary and braced against something. It fires a single shot before it needs reloading (which itself is a time consuming process; on average, it takes her forty three seconds) but it is more than capable of punching through anything that isn’t several inches thick; it rips through armour as though it were the thinnest silk, and has a wide radius of damage when combined with Wyrmfire Shot. Laverna keeps this weapon loaded at all times; she will use it for assassinations, or as a last resort in combat. The kickback is more than enough to dislocate her shoulder if held incorrectly; something she has done in haste on more than one occasion.

Laverna typically carries a great deal of ammunition, even going so far as to hide some in her boots at times. She favours Wyrmfire Shot and Windslicer Shot in combat for their destructive potential, although she also carries Mud Shot for hunts, and Dark Shot, which she uses primarily for assassinations. She disdains the use of status inflicting ammunition such as Stone Shot, preferring a “clean kill” even if it makes it more dangerous.

Laverna also carries Stun Bombs, although these are a last resort, on the off-chance that a mark gets too close to her or, even rarer still, she is caught and pursued during an assassination. She dislikes using these, and forgoes other types of bomb entirely; any idiot can chuck one at someone, and there is no guarantee it will hit. She prefers to do her work directly.

Appearance:

At 6’5” in height, Laverna is an intimidating woman, towering over most other people no matter what their race, a sense which is heightened only by her face: with sharp, chiseled and angular features that are always set in either a frown or an expression cold enough to freeze the blood, with odd, piercing red eyes that are quite impossible to read any sort of emotion from, she is not typically a woman that most seek out for anything other than business. As a Feol Viera, she possesses the characteristics typical of her species; that is, a striking feminine figure that is actually far more lithe and curvaceous than the majority of female Humes could pull off, although with her small, tell-tale ears hidden by her hat, she can pass quite easily for a female Hume; not even other Viera can recognize her for what she is unless she removes the hat…which, of course, she never does.

By Viera standards, Laverna’s clothing is fairly modest. She is swathed in a tattered white coat which covers her arms and upper body, tied in place by black belts, for support as much as to stop it from flying apart. She favours black leathers over the standard metal bikini that most Viera wear – how on earth they can wear that in the heat, or move comfortably in it, is beyond her ability to understand – to allow her to move quietly, although she still leaves her legs and midriff bare. A pair of worn black boots adorn her feet, and it is rare to see her without a gun strapped to her side, or slung across her back. Despite the fact that she has spent more hours out in the Sun than indoors, Laverna’s skin is not even slightly tanned, although her hair, once a blonde so light that it could be mistaken for white, has been bleached a significantly darker shade. She keeps her most prized possessions – the Midlight Shard, and a signet ring – in a small pocket sewn inside her coat.


Personality:

Laverna has an air of confidence that many find annoying. As one of the foremost assassins in Ivalice, she displays a certain level of calmness that one would expect of someone who regularly faces death, and a complete lack of anything even remotely resembling remorse, sympathy or pity: people who get themselves into these situations have only themselves to blame, or they’re just unlucky that they happened to catch the eye of someone rich enough to pay to have them killed. Either way, it isn’t really her business, and she has no plans to make it her business. Laverna does not look at things in any moral terms: there are tasks to be done, and people to do them. Something of a nihilist in her thinking, Laverna does what she does because it’s a job, and because she’s good at doing it; it doesn’t really matter, as everyone dies in the end; the how of it is inconsequential.

Laverna has a strict code of honour that she lives by: she will accept any job if the price is right, no matter what the risks to herself may be, and will follow it through to completion, or return the client’s money to them twice over. Perhaps Laverna’s single redeeming quality is that, once she is bought, she stays bought until the task at hand is complete, or it is no longer possible. On more than one occasion has she received counter offers from other parties, and not once has she taken it: she has a great deal of pride in her reputation, and finds the notion of an honourable assassin an entertaining one, as it is not typically a business one finds honour in; she can be accused of many things, but dishonesty is not one of them. Laverna takes one job at a time, and will not accept any further requests until the current one has been cleared; she does not have a “waiting list” and nor does she multitask. Laverna is a typical businesswoman in an unusual business: her prices are non-negotiable, and attempting to do so only closes doors. The job is requested, the price is set, take it or leave it. This can be said of both her work as an assassin and as a mercenary. Painfully blunt, Laverna says exactly what she means, and has a very small amount of patience for those who don’t do the same: when you’ll ultimately reach the same outcome, dancing around the point with etiquette is utterly pointless, and a waste of her time.

Despite the seriousness of her primary profession, Laverna never takes anything seriously: her chosen alias reflects her sense of melodrama and self-deprecating humour, which is only fuelled by the fact that everyone else takes it seriously. She has a very dry sense of humour which surfaces often, and indeed, there is a lot about herself that Laverna finds amusing also; despite her cynicism, she is often smiling at the situations she finds herself in, and in her unique position, which grants her a certain diplomatic immunity no matter what territory she is in – after all, everyone needs a competent and honest assassin, and no matter who she takes out she never faces any reprisal, and those who are annoyed by it will only hire her afterwards anyway – and has made cross border travel extremely easy in these turbulent times. More than once she has been offered positions of power amongst nobility. Laverna is one who can smile about the state of the world, even though she more than most can see the corruption far clearer. Although unlike most, she doesn’t particularly care; after all, it generates work. Laverna dislikes the nature of politics, in which people stab their enemies with words until they no longer have any effect, at which point that get someone like her to stab their enemies with knives or put a bullet through their skull instead, which they really ought to have done in the first place and saved themselves the trouble.

Laverna doesn’t care much for people of any race or stock; people are either customers or they’re targets; walking sacks of meat to be exploited, not sentient beings with feelings and thoughts and the rest of it that they put so much emphasis on. With the sole exception of Viera (see below) she does not discriminate between races: everyone is the same to her, and if they don’t fit into either of the aforementioned categories, they may as well not exist. A cold and rational amoral calculator, she only takes an interest in people if they offer a job, and even then it’s only on how much they can give her for it. Whilst she finds it annoying that she has a rather bad reputation amongst the general populace, it is unavoidable given her line of work, and she has little desire to correct other people’s misconceptions: after all, they don’t really matter. They’ll quickly change their tune if they need her for something; their hatred is entirely impersonal, and she doesn’t take it personally. She is what society made her, after all: if society wasn’t corrupt, it wouldn’t have a place for an assassin. Whilst she does not feel the need to rationalise the process, she nonetheless has a justification on the off chance that someone asks her why she does it when she isn’t interested in the money and doesn’t care one way or another for the people she is working for. She does, however, become extremely irritable when her own personal honour is called into question because of what others in her line of work do. She is not self-important enough to kill those in her profession who violate her principles; how they conduct themselves is their own business, and she can’t take every contract by herself...being the only assassin would make her very easy to find, as well, and Laverna is a very secretive individual; none but Alysandra know of her alias as Xanthe the Black; to the world at large she is a simple mercenary of modest repute and integrity.

Laverna is extremely foul-mouthed and crass. She can be polite when she wants to be, but those moments seem to be few and far between, particularly with nobility. She has little patience for the wasteful grandeur those with money like to indulge themselves in, and will often make her clients come to her personally to deal with her, in the most squalid place she can find: not even the Emperor of Archadia himself gets any more than moderate courtesy from her, as his position is hereditary; she’ll gladly pay her respects to the first Emperor of House Thrace, but not his descendants, who are piggybacking off his efforts. She demands respect and gives none in return: after all, people are coming to her asking her to clean up their mess, and they often did nothing to earn what they have. Gaining Laverna’s respect is extremely difficult, as she cares little for an individual’s personality or goals, unless they’re going to interfere with her doing her job, or have given rise to her getting a job. If anything, these aspects of someone are all the more reason to be contemptuous of them: all races share something in common, and that is an insatiable greed coupled with an unfathomable laziness. People want everything, yet are unwilling to do anything for it.

Those Laverna respects are those who earn what they have off their own backs, and as none of her clients fit this category – the very act of going to her is enough to prove as much – she has nothing but contempt for them. She is difficult to deal with but, as she is widely regarded as the best at what she does, people who want a job to be completed without any risk of it being traced back to them have little choice but to go to her; standards are slipping these days. She has little shame for herself, but plenty to spare for those who make use of her, since it is always for their own petty reasons, and a desire not to dirty their own hands, as if by using her they can shift the blame onto her. In her own mind and in reality, Laverna stands apart from the rest of Ivalice: she is just another tool that people use to satisfy their lust for power or revenge, nothing more. Her own thoughts and feelings are entirely separate from others, and irrelevant in any case: it’s her business, not anyone else’s.

Laverna has long since lost her youthful idealism (despite the fact that by Feol Viera standards she is very young indeed, and looks to be in her early twenties, and will for at least another century yet) and is bitterly cynical about life: things are what they are, and what they are is bleak and corrupt, with no hope of redemption. Laverna has no real motivation or goals; greed holds no appeal, and she has no desire to make the world a better place; having worked for all sides, she can see that they’re all just as bad as one another, and removing one government would only result in one equally as corrupt. She continues to work because to stop would be to give up and grow to become everything she despises, and because her line of work leads to many interesting places...and earns her an amusingly contradictory reputation as both the most sought-after and most wanted assassin, and as one of the more competent mercenaries available. She is simply trying to make a living just like anyone else and, whilst her job is not particularly well received, it is lucrative, and there is a high level of demand, so she’ll never go out of work and, lack of greed aside, the simple truth is that one needs money in order to live. Better to have too much than too little.

Laverna has one small personality trait that defies her cold rational thinking, and that is a strong hatred for Viera. Whether it is down to supposed racial superiority – hers or theirs is anyone’s guess – or simply her past experiences with them (after all, they have tried to kill her on multiple occasions without provocation, which makes it somewhat understandable) she cannot and will not abide their presence near her; more than one has been shot by her simply for standing too close to her. Fortunately this has always happened in a bar, and little is thought of it – after all, brawls erupt all the time, and mercenaries are a strange lot - but Laverna’s hatred for Viera runs so deep that she will even violate her principals and refuse work from them, no matter the price they offer. She dislikes being insulted, and accusations of being “Exiled” (whatever the hell THAT is supposed to mean) get on her nerves. Despite her hardness, Laverna is actually quite thin-skinned: she demands a certain amount of respect due of one of her talents and accomplishments, and the Viera never give it to her once they find out what she is. She tolerates very little nonsense from others, and even less from them. Others insult her out of ignorance, which she can overlook, or take non-lethal steps to correct them. The Viera are intractable and deliberate in their offense, and are the sole exception to her rules.

Laverna’s other odd trait is her relationship with her “partner” Alysandra, as it goes against all of her principles. There is an unusual kinship between the two – after all, Gria are uncommon to that area of Ivalice, perhaps even more so than Feol Viera – that results in Laverna at least tolerating her unlikely companion, and her destructive skills as a Black Mage (something she lacks) make her an excellent foil, and an ideal distraction or cover: after all, the assassin works alone. The mercenary, who is not connected in any way to the assassin from the perspective of the outside world, has a partner. On occasion, those two roles may intersect, making her life much easier, and much more interesting. The two work well together, which is perhaps the only reason they stand one another, and have an understanding. Having a partner also allows her to retain her anonymity, making her useful; given the flash she often exhibits, most are drawn to Alysandra, allowing Laverna to do her work uninterrupted. Although whilst Laverna would never admit it, she greatly enjoys the banter the two share, and sees her as much as a daughter as her partner, given the thirty year age gap between them...which aggravates Alysandra no end, and amuses Laverna all the more. Despite only being together for a few months, they have already grown closer, and begun to develop a friendship that goes beyond their business relationship, although it is something the two make a point of repeatedly denying and ignoring, given their mutual dislike.

All in all, Laverna is simply another professional trying to make a living in the world, despite having chosen a darker pathway for doing so than most would. She cares little for any race, having long since cast aside her family ties – after all, whoever heard of an assassin with friends and family? – and often displays an impatience in conversation to have done with it; there is nothing to be said between her and others unless they want to hire her.

History:

Laverna, named as Liandra Mithra Telethen (although her original name is unknown even to her) was born in Nabradia. Whilst neither she nor her adoptive parents know who her real parents were, or what they were doing on the continent – after all, Feol Viera typically remain isolated, even more so than their woodland counterparts – her life essentially began when her parents were discovered by a group of Viera who, regarding them as Exiled and therefore abominations, decided to make an example of them, just in case there were others nearby. They managed to cross the border into Archades, although were both killed before they were able to escape. They did, however, manage to hide their child, who was later found by the Lord and Lady of House Telethen, who were returning from a hunting trip.

House Telethen had considerable influence, and those with influence are ever permitted their eccentricities. In what one would think as an uncharacteristic display of kindness for nobility, the two adopted the young Feol Viera, whom they named Liandra, into their house, raising her as one of their own. This was, perhaps, not so kind; Liandra could never actually inherit anything, and as a Feol Viera she could never become a part of the Archadian military, which had a strict policy of recruiting pure-blooded Humes only.

Two years after Liandra was taken into the house, her parents had a child of their own, Aracia, and whilst Liandra was not ignored in favour of her, it became clear over time that her parents did not expect her to amount to anything. Nonetheless, as a child Liandra was diligent in her studies of etiquette, finances and agriculture, and aspired to greatness: she would become the first non-hume Judge, and she would do the family honour. She believed this for several years, and worked hard with her sister, Aracia, to see her dream become a reality. However, after being rejected repeatedly when she applied for the army, despite wielding a Measure with greater efficiency than most recruits did a sword, and outmatching them all with a Gun, she quickly grew despondant. She tried again some years later, concealing her ears under a hat, and was accepted with her sister’s help, although she was quickly dismissed after it was discovered what she was, despite her military excellence. Her actions brought shame to herself and her house, although they were redeemed somewhat when her sister became a Judge Magister at the age of twenty-two, one of the youngest since the founding of the Archadian Empire.

Denied the path her sister took and no longer able to face her parents, Liandra left Archades, adopting the alias of Laverna and making a name for herself as a mercenary instead. A lot of her earlier work was purely bounty related work, clearing up monsters that threatened the peasants of whatever city she currently dwelt in. She refused only a single job during that time: an expedition organised by a small group of mercenaries in response to the bounties posted by the Emperor of the Archadian Empire, to loot Raithwall’s Tomb. Her wariness turned out to be the right decision, as none of them – nor the batallions or Judge Magisters that the Emperor sent – returned from that trip.

As conflicts between the nations began to heat up over the years, requests began to take on a distinctly darker tone, with less focus on monsters and more on particular individuals. Adopting the name of Xanthe the Black, Laverna took on some of the requests posted by Archadia, as those were the most lucrative, and offered the more interesting marks, being key Nabradian military officials surrounded by legions of fanatical loyalists. She picked off a few of the lesser marks, working her way into the confidence of the Nabradian military as she did so until finally, in the year 703 Old Valendian, she successfully assassinated the King of Nabradia, Elgyas XIV, disguising herself as a servant and waiting for him in his bedchamber, where she slit his throat and then raised the alarm to cover her escape, also taking the Midlight Shard with her, figuring she could hold it for ransom, given its importance.

Her notoriety skyrocketed after this event, as many had tried before she had and wound up with their heads stuck on pikes for all to see, and it was not long before a fresh wave of requests reached her, some from commoners seeking revenge, others from “anonymous” members of nobility seeking something of a more political nature; the sovereigns of Rozarria and Archadia both offered extreme sums for one another’s heads, as well as titles and deeds to land to go with them. She took requests from both Nabradia and Rozarria to balance things out, gaining a reputation of neutrality, rather than just an Archadian puppet, and took out almost as many military generals as the war itself did, although she was careful to avoid requests posted on Judge Magistrates – especially after witnessing the power they wielded – and major members of the royal families; after all, if one side won, it would be very bad for her new business. Ultimately the Archadian forces were victorious, resulting in the collapse of both Nabradia and Dalmasca, and she stopped taking requests for a time, as the majority had come from Archadian nobility, focusing on Rozarrian individuals...and, considering what they had just accomplished, they could manage without her for a while.

She returned to Rabanastre, having grown rather fond of the city, and took up work as a mercenary once more, only taking the occasional assassination contract to keep her reputation alive. It was on one of these jobs that she met Alysandra, a young Gria Black Mage, who would ultimately become her partner...albeit against her will. Alysandra refused to leave her alone once she caught a glimpse of the Midlight Shard: it was an extremely powerful Magickal artefact, long thought lost, and she was going to study it, whether Laverna liked it or not. Within a month the two were taking contracts together, despite their apparent mutual dislike.

Being part of the criminal underworld gains one access to some rather sensitive information, and it was not long before Laverna discovered that the heir to the Dalmascan throne, one Prince Rowan, was not quite as dead as the world believed. More than that, he was planning on reclaiming what he saw as rightfully his, which was sure to be good for business; indeed, hired thugs were already taking out Archadian soldiers, clearly planning something...or just stirring up trouble. Either way, it was of little interest to her – after all, she was not a hired gun – until the plans of the wayward Prince became abundantly clear to Laverna when a job for her came through her Rabanastran contacts: the assassination of the new Dalmascan Consul on the day of the festival welcoming him to the city. Not only that, but the reward for success was most attractive. She agreed to the contract, and begun her preparations, working her way into the Archadian military to set herself up as one of the guards on-duty on the day of the festival. It would indeed be an event that would not be soon forgotten...

Character theme: TBD
Battle theme: TBD

----

Name: Aracia Mien Telethen
Alias: Judge Zalaena
Age: 54
Gender: Female
Race: Hume
Job: Red Mage
Esper: Zeromus, the Condemner
Weapons: Judge Zalaena wields a two handed greatsword, which she has yet to give a name to…naming one’s weapons is pointless, after all. The surface of this sword is layered with Magick runes, as the blade was designed to work in harmony with her natural Magick skills to focus and enhance them, giving her an edge in close combat. Zalaena is perfectly capable of wielding it as an ordinary sword should she choose to, however. Being precisely 5ft in length, it is something she must carry in a scabbard strapped diagonally across her back. Despite the fact that it was designed to be wielded in two hands, Zalaena is quite capable, and frequently will, wield it in a single hand, allowing her a free hand to cast spells. Her efficiency in combat wielding it single-handed is drastically reduced, however.
Appearance:

At 6’2”, Judge Zalaena is of slightly above average height for a hume, and cuts an imposing figure in bone white armour, a stark contrast from the standard black and grey worn by Archadian forces. Zalaena’s armour is designed more to support her Magickal abilities than provide defence against physical assault in combat: it is noticeably lighter, and not quite as resistant to physical damage; Magick will barely scratch it, yet physical assaults may leave a considerable dent or, if of sufficient force, punch straight through it; this has happened more than once in the past, from blows which would simply ricochet off standard armour.

For a woman in her early fifties, Zalaena is still as fit as she was in her twenties, although the ravages of time have left their mark on her: hair once a coppery brown has become steel gray, close cropped, and pale skin that has become almost sickly has been stretched tightly over bone, showing clear lines of decades of stress. Zalaena is a very bleak-looking woman; even her eyes, a light green, appear to be almost grey at times, as her facial expression never seems to change from its default severity. At no point in her life has she been a woman to desire, even in her youth. Whilst it is extremely rare to see her out of armour, she favours drab colours, such as ochre and green; uniforms that do nothing to lessen her severity or her authority.

Personality:

First impressions of Zalaena are often correct: she is not a woman that any would want to cross, or even converse with. Those who are given a choice give her a wide berth: she does not engage in casual conversation, and nor does she appreciate the company of others unless they have a point to make…and even then, it had better be a point worthy of her time. A hard and cold woman, Judge Zalaena seems others as little more than tools for her to use as necessary, or as rabble in need of a reminder of whom their betters are. Her former ideology of serving the people of the Archadian Empire above the needs of all others has long since been discarded, and her concerns now lie with maintaining order, which involves, primarily, executing any who disagree with the Law, be they commoner or noble. It is the place of the people to obey their ruler, and it is her place to make sure that they do, and that those who do not are dealt with. None but she – and her fellow Judges by grace of the Emperor only; she neither respects nor trusts them – are above the Law, which is absolute; a force greater than the Gods themselves. Judge Zalaena does not deal in grey areas such as morality; people either obey the Law, or they don’t. If they do, they may continue to live and prosper in the glory of the Archadian Empire. If they do not, they will be punished accordingly. She cares for little else, given the mediocrity in which the commoners indulge, and the pointless luxury of the nobility. There is no greater cause than guiding the world into a prosperous, ordered future.

Judge Zalaena does not believe in trials or explanations: she is the embodiment of the Law, and it is her right to see justice done in whatever way she deems necessary. This often involves either a public hanging or immediate, on-the-spot butchery; incarceration serves little purpose in her eyes, and it takes up much needed space in the prison cells. Whilst she takes no pleasure from killing – indeed, she takes no pleasure from anything; any joy in life was taken from her long ago - Zalaena has an open distaste for any other than the Emperor, an immediate family member, or an obedient soldier; the people are the subjects of the empire, and the Archadian Empire has no use for treasonous rabble. Often, she is not concerned with guilt or innocence: an execution will serve as a reminder to the rest that they are under her observation, and will be dealt with swiftly and with no mercy. Zalaena is of firm belief that ruling through fear is the best way of dealing with the people: those who still rebel after seeing innocents killed will quickly be caught, as law-abiding citizens will refuse to offer them shelter, and nor will they be tempted to join them when they realise even the slightest link to their cause will see them at the gallows faster than they can blink. Precisely how well this tactic has served in the long term cannot be accurately gauged by any means, but given all rebel activity is immediately suspended when she is in the immediate area, it has given her a considerable reputation amongst the nobility, and kept her within the Emperor’s good graces…although whether this is because she is terrorizing the populace into obedience or because she is his daughter-in-law remains to be seen.

Despite the straightforward barbarity of her actions, Judge Zalaena remains one of the foremost strategic minds of the Archadian Empire; long before she obtained her Esper, she won engagements through use of superior tactics, and she has a remarkably shrewd mind. She is also somewhat adept in the field of politics, being a member of one of the most powerful houses in the Archadian Empire, although she rarely indulges in it these days: a woman with no sense of humour and little patience for foolishness, Zalaena’s short temper was never going to make her a particularly good politician, and since acquiring her Esper, all subtlety has been stripped from her: things are as they ought to be, and if they are not, she will take the easiest route to correct this.

Zalaena’s loyalty to the Archadian Empire borders on fanaticism: she will do whatever she deems to be necessary for the good of the Empire…or rather, the Emperor. Rumours that the Emperor himself was once her lover are entirely unfounded, given the twenty year age gap between them, as well as her former marriage to his son, yet her complete devotion to his rule, and to that of his house, go beyond even what a member of House Telethen typically displays. Loyalty is one of the most fundamental concepts of Zalaena’s life: loyalty to her Emperor, her family, and then her country, in that order. She has little else left in life, after all. A woman such as she has no time for petty indulgences; she has a higher purpose to fulfil, and this consumes her every waking moment. A woman pushed to her limits, Zalaena is always curt and often snappy with others – inquiries waste time, and everyone should know their place – and often appears edgy, given that she will go for days at a time without sleeping.

History:

Aracia Mien Telethen, born in the year 652 Old Valendian, was a disappointment to her parents, who had been hoping for a son to continue their legacy, as they already had an adopted daughter. However, with her they saw possibilities – particularly after the man who would later become Emperor had his first son – and as such, she was moulded to become the perfect Archadian noblewoman.

…or she would have been. Unfortunately for her parents, Aracia was more interested in the military side of things: tales of great battles with Rozarria intrigued her a great deal more than lessons in etiquette and, whilst she excelled at history, her skills as a woman left a great deal to be desired. Her sister by adoption, Liandra, didn’t help matters, encouraging her younger sister to do what she enjoyed. Despite the fact that her parents strongly disapproved, both Aracia and Liandra signed on to the Archadian military when they became of age.

Liandra was quickly thrown out; Feol Viera were not welcome in the military. Aracia, however, rose extremely quickly through the ranks, attaining the position of Judge Magister after scarcely five years had passed, after she caught the attention of one of the previous Magisters, Judge Teina, who recommended her to the Emperor after she not only beat him in a practice match – albeit just barely – but also suggested a strategy for pushing back Rozarrian forces, which worked far better than anything they had tried so far. She was charismatic, had strong values of justice, and was loyal almost to the point of fanaticism: she was, in short, the ideal candidate. Given her family’s connections, the recommendation was accepted, and she became Judge Zalaena, one of the youngest Judge Magisters in Archadian history, although with a great deal of reservation from the Senate: she was twenty-two years of age, and House Telethen already had considerable influence in the court; the last thing they needed was one of them becoming a Judge. It is no surprise that she was given the jobs farthest away from the capital, putting an end to rebels, smugglers and occasional Rozarrian skirmishes. It took her almost three years to return to the capital; politics and constant troubles – many of them arranged – kept her busy. Twice they even sent assassins to her.

Zalaena married in her twenty-fifth year just after she returned to the capital, to the first son of the man who would later become the Emperor, Kyle Paendra Thrace, more due to the political machinations of her parents than anything else, who had been quite busy in her absence…upon returning, Zalaena discovered that many of the young noblewomen she had known as a child had died in a mysterious or tragic accident one way or another over the years. Three years into her service as a Judge Magister at this time, her marriage had one goal in mind only: to further cement the ties between House Telethen and House Thrace. Indeed, with her husband the next in line after Argenta, she would become the Empress of Archadia, and her children would take the throne afterwards, cementing the place of House Telethen firmly above the other noble houses of Archadia. This essentially bound the two houses into one; a goal that House Telethen had been struggling to achieve since the very first of the Thrace Emperors was crowned.

Zalaena was temporarily recalled from her duties, long enough to bear two children, who she saw infrequently after that; impatient to continue with her duties as Judge Magister, the care and education of her two children was left in the hands of maids and scholars as she returned to more important matters. She did not see her sons again until they became of age to join the Archadian military; at which point she promptly removed their commissions, forcing them to start out as recruits. One did not gain military rank through titles, and the attitudes of both her sons displeased her immensely. She took them to task personally, ensuring they had no preferential treatment and that they learned what it was to be a soldier, despite their complaints. After seven years of rigorous training, both became generals under their own merit, and received commendation from the Emperor himself.

Kyle was assassinated in 698 Old Valendian, five years before the conflict with Nabradia escalated with the assassination of the Nabradian King, Elygas XVI. A powerful and influential man who was, surprisingly, extremely loyal to his father – despite numerous assassination attempts over the years, none were made by either Kyle or House Telethen; it seemed all parties were content to allow Argenta to reign for the time being, especially considering his goals to become the next Dynast King – and had a keen mind for diplomacy. He was often sent to Nabradia to discuss treaties, and it was widely believed that it was they who had ordered him assassinated, as a message to the empire…although some suspected his brother. Zalaena did not grieve over her husband; she had hardly known the man, and her two sons, who were both now fully grown and in service to the Archadian military, both formidable generals in their own right, were the next in line to the throne; the remaining son was a bumbling fool, little more than a puppet for the ambitious Senate, and he would not take the throne: the Emperor himself would likely have him killed before he allowed it. The connection between the houses was still extremely strong and, when Zalaena was ordered to force Nabradia to accede to Archadian demands by taking Nabudis, she took her two sons with her, to cement their position: with Nabudis falling, Dalmasca would follow suit, and Rozarrian forces would be pushed back. It would be a great military victory that would gain them much standing.

However, Zalaena’s children were both killed in the first battle of Nabudis – Rozarrian forces numbered greater than they expected – after being captured and publicly executed as an example to the Archadian forces, and to her. This loss was far more devastating to her than the loss of her husband had been: not only were the two excellent military officers under her personal command, but with them the connection House Telethen had to the throne was removed: with another son, it was unlikely the Emperor would allow Zalaena to take the throne herself – something she didn’t care for in any case - . Given these facts, precisely why the Emperor chose her to be the first to receive an Esper is unknown. The process was experimental, so it is possible he had hoped she would die as a result of it. Or perhaps it was simply a concession for her losses; despite their diminished connection, House Telethen remained the foremost ally to the throne.

With Zeromus at her disposal, she laid waste to Nabudis, as much for vengeance for the lives of her children as her country. She decimated the entire city so thoroughly that there were fewer than a handful of survivors, and many of those were publicly executed by her at a later date as examples to the rest of the populace. It was during this conflict that Judge Zalaena developed a significantly bloodier reputation than what she had had previously, and many attempts were made on her life – even by some Archadian nobility – as a result of this; she was becoming unstable, was the general consensus, and her having an Esper made her significantly more powerful. There were some who feared that she would turn on the ruling house and take the throne for herself; her connection to the royal line was diminished significantly as a result of the loss of her husband and children, yet her standing as a Judge Magister had never been stronger. She did not participate in the battle at Nalbina Fortress that followed the destruction of Nabudis, however: the Emperor wanted the last remaining heirs to the thrones of Nabradia and Dalmasca taken alive; even he was surprised by the cold efficiency with which Zalaena had destroyed an entire city. Unfortunately, both were apparently killed in the ensuing conflict, leaving him without links to the nethicite shards in their possession. The Dusk Shard and Midlight Shard both vanished, and the Dawn Shard, being guarded in Raithwall’s Tomb, was beyond his reach.

It fell to Zalaena and the others to consolidate the Empire’s borders in the aftermath of the war which, whilst she did efficiently, did nothing to improve the people’s view of the Archadian Empire. Her tactics were merciless and bloody; making personal examples of any pockets of resistance who opposed her. Zalaena unsettled even her own soldiers; she was a woman possessed and, whilst she was no less effective at her military duties, it was clear that she had lost what little of her humanity remained with the death of her children and the acquisition of something that had not been wielded by man since Raithwall’s time, and never in such a straightforward and destructive fashion. She had become a weapon of dangerous proportions; she no longer played by the rules of the game played amongst the nobility; she simply killed whoever displeased her. Nonetheless, the Emperor continued to make use of her, displaying no particular worry regarding her loyalty, and it was she who was chosen to escort his sole remaining heir across the border, where he would take up the position of Dalmascan Consul; the final test of his worthiness to succeed his father, he claimed. Of course, none would dare try anything with Judge Zalaena in the city to keep an eye on things…

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Name: Alysandra “Sandy” Piatrice Arls
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Race: Gria
Job: Black Mage
Esper: Adrammelech, the Wroth
Weapons: Sandy’s sole weapon is a staff (unnamed; who ever heard of naming a weapon?) which she uses to channel her more destructive magic into more focused attacks…when it suits her. She is quite capable of channelling through her hands, or even without a gesture – gestures are a lazy shortcut for a focused mind – although she will use it on occasion. The gem set in the staff does not amplify her abilities in any way; it’s just there for decoration, although she longs to replace it one day with a shard of nethicite…
Appearance:

4’2” in height, Sandy is small even for a Gria, something that, whilst is has never really bothered her, she does not appreciate having brought up in conversation. With a rounded, girlish face dominated by red eyes which clearly reveal her most immediate feelings, a small nose slightly pointed at the tip, and a mouth usually quirked in a half smile, she could only be described as “cute” by others…at least until she opens her mouth and starts talking, at which point any charm or appeal she has is quickly lost in a torrent of foul language or snarky comments. Her face is framed by shoulder length purple hair, which falls down just past the small of her back when loose, although she normally keeps it tied up.

Sandy’s clothes are typical of one dwelling in the warmer regions of Ivalice, although the colours clearly betray her outlandish origins: her robe is a soft orange, the fabric slightly softer than that which is common to this region of Ivalice, and covers much of her body, leaving only exposed arms and feet visible. A red shawl doubles as a hood, allowing her to blend into crowds when necessary…or at least hide her face; someone dressed as her rarely passes by unseen. She wears something similar to a white dress underneath the robe; light and thin enough to be nearly transparent, it serves no real practical purpose; if anything, it is yet another layer ina hot climate, although Sandy never seems to sweat. Sturdy, thick-soled sandals adorn her feet, with leather straps that come up to mid-calf providing support for her legs.

Sandy’s draconian features that are the trademark of her face are typically hidden from view: her wings are often kept folded underneath her shawl, her horns are hidden by bundles of hair tied in loose pigtails, and her tail is underneath her skirt. Sandy could quite easily pass for a hume, although certainly not a normal one: red eyes and vivid purple hair aren’t typical hume traits, after all. She isn’t particularly ashamed of her heritage, she just doesn’t like people gawking at her: yes, they’re very impressive, and she’s probably the cutest and most amazing thing they’ve ever seen in their miserable, rat-gnawed lives, but she has things to do and can’t really do them with people staring at her like she’s the new Dynast King. Sandy’s wings are about average size for a Gria of her height and build, although they are slightly weaker than a normal Gria’s: she can use them to give her a bit of an extended jump, but she cannot fly or even glide using them.

Personality:

For such a little girl, Sandy has a very big mouth, and much of what comes out of it is a sarcastic comment, a complaint, or a criticism. Sandy is not afraid to pipe up when she sees something that she dislikes, and it seems that she doesn’t like very much; she is constantly criticizing others, whether it’s for their lack of manners towards her – she IS a prodigy after all, and should be treated as such – their seeming inability to do something properly without her, or their general inadequacy when compared to her. Sandy holds everyone to very high and fluctuating standards that they could not possibly hope to meet, and has an extraordinarily high opinion of herself.

Despite being well travelled, Sandy is remarkably naïve: she has a little difficulty in distinguishing fairy-tale from history, and history from the present. Her unguided reading has assembled into something of a jumbled mess in her head, meaning that she knows far more about some subjects than a lot of people, yet at the same time a great deal of that knowledge has very little practical application, since it’s several centuries old. Sandy jumps to some rather ridiculous conclusions despite her very logical and methodical way of thinking, and once her mind is made up, that is that. Sandy is convinced she is infallible, and has yet to be successfully proved wrong (or at least made to admit that she is) and is unbearably smug when things turn out as she predicted.

Sandy is not easily angered; she is disdainful of violence – after all, what chance does mindless brute force have against the might of her Magick? – and has very thick skin; to get angry would be to sink to the barbaric level of her adversary, and this is something that she would never do. In order to anger Sandy, one must outwit her, which is no easy task, especially given her absolute refusal to admit defeat. Whilst not immediately contemptuous of others, Sandy does not regard them as her equals, intellectually or otherwise, and can be quite insufferable to deal with as a result of this: her self-importance is matched only by her skill with Magick, which is exactly the problem. A lot of Sandy’s boasting is a simple lack of modesty, and not an over-inflation of her ego and, given her dislike for “mindless” violence – it takes no skill to hit someone over the head with a club, stab them with a sword, or pull a trigger or a string; any idiot can do it – this has translated into a superiority complex of alarming proportions. Sandy has a great deal of pride and absolutely no humility.

If one can get past her snobbery and converse with her on “her level” about subjects she finds interesting – anything to do with Magick or history – then they would find Sandy to be pleasant company, with a sharp wit and a surprising amount of compassion: despite her general disdain for most people, Sandy is not completely closed off, and those she considers worthy of her time will find that she can be helpful, respectful and even kind, and will not feel the sting of her barbed tongue…provided they don’t say anything stupid, at any rate. Sandy has an unsurprisingly small amount of patience for idiocy I any shape or form; if you don’t know how something she considers obvious, she will give you a lecture on how to do it properly and precisely why you should have been able to do it in the first place. Ignorance is not an excuse, and neither is a lack of interest. The pursuit of knowledge is the purest and most noble goal that any mortal can strive for, and those who don’t seek to further their own intellectual development at every opportunity are unworthy of living the lives they have been blessed with. Sandy is intractable in her views on this matter, and does not adopt a “live and let live” policy: people WILL do what she sees as best for them, because she is right, and that is that.

Sandy’s relationship with her partner, Liandra (she refuses to call her “Laverna” since she was told that was a alias; names are given to one by another, they are not given to one by oneself) is one that puzzles even her; whilst she disdains the use of firearms, she has witnessed her partner’s skills first-hand and, given that she is one of the most renowned assassins in Ivalice, she cannot help but admire her, and even fear her a little. This makes her particularly aggressive towards her, and the banter the two share is one step below open insult. Given her possession of nethicite, she is an object of curiosity and endless frustration – the chance to study objects of such immense power is too great to pass up – and, whilst she has expressed a desire to go her own way, she has yet to do so. In Liandra, Sandy has found the one person that she might be able to call her equal…although she would never admit this, not even to herself.


History:

Born in Jylland to a tribe of wandering Gria, Alysandra grew up in relative comfort; being undisturbed by any major wars beyond the occasional clan feud, she lived a carefree life as a child, being able to wander wherever she wished in safety…after all, Gria were well known for their physical prowess, and few monsters would attack even a child of the Gria, and those that would were not the type to lie about and pick off stragglers.

Nonetheless, Alysandra never really fit in amongst the Gria; even for one of her people she was rather small, and physically weak. She never showed much of an interest in combat, and was more interested in reading about Magick, or of things in the bedtime stories her parents read to her; tales of Dynast King Raithwall and his command over one of the Espers made by the Gods themselves, and of the time when those Gods roamed Ivalice. Being part of a nomadic tribe wasn’t enough for Alysandra; she wanted to travel to distant parts of Ivalice, to see what else was out there, and how much of it was actually true. By her fifteenth birthday, she had been everywhere in Jylland, and she wasn’t content to stay on the continent: she wished to see more of what the world had to offer.

Eventually, she left her tribe, travelling to Ordallia, exploring the Rozarrian Empire, which was engaged with the Archadian Empie in some conflict or another. She didn’t much care, spending the majority of her time exploring cities, hunting down either the library or the most knowledgeable person on Magick she could find to teach her what they knew. She was apprenticed to half a dozen “masters” of their craft during this time, although she learned little: she was already on the same level as those skilled in Black Magick, and those in other fields could offer her little. Rozarria had few records of the time before their Empire had sprung into existence – which was just typical of Humes; they were overwhelmingly arrogant, and assumed the world was born with them – and was more interested in its military than anything else. She quickly grew disenchanted with the country, but was reluctant to leave until she had explored every avenue.

Rumours of Espers being used in the war a few years later attracted Alysandra’s interest, although she believed little of what she heard: she had seen the military strength of Rozarria, and found it difficult to believe that they could be pushed back so quickly…by humans – mere mortals! – wielding the Scions of Darkness, former servants of the Gods themselves, of all things. Nonetheless, Rozarria held little of interest to her, and thus she decided to travel to Valendia, heading for Rabanastre, the capital of Dalmasca, which was apparently right in the middle of this little conflict that was going on.

Unfortunately for Alysandra, travelling across the Estersand – which she needed to do in order to reach the city - is a hazardous thing to do by oneself and, whilst her Magick was more than capable of eliminating the smaller threats, against the larger monsters – such as a sleeping Saurian that would have remained asleep if she hadn’t been waking enough noise to wake the dead – she found herself quite ineffectual and, being the stubborn girl she was, she refused to retreat. Fortunately for her, it just so happened that this particular Saurian was the target of a mercenary by the name of Laverna (which she would later discover to be an alias) and she was more than capable of slaying it. Rather than thank her saviour – after all, it was clear she was only taking out her target; she didn’t give a damn, so she didn’t deserve thanks – Alysandra was more interested to know why her Magick was going haywire around the mercenary; she clearly had no talent for Magick herself, and whatever it was, it was giving her a headache.

Of course, seeing the Midlight Shard, which proved to be the source of her discomfort, was enough to bind Alysandra to Laverna permanently, after she realised she wasn’t going to be able to convince her to give it to her or sell it. She had unwittingly stumbled across the very thing she was searching for immediately upon arriving in the region: who knew what else the continent was hiding? However, she had little opportunity to explore, as Laverna – or Liandra, as she was actually called, although she did not discover her partner’s true nature until later – was entirely unconcerned with her (which only served to ignite her extremely short fuse) and had a habit of disappearing without a single trace, and then reappearing again at one of her haunts in Rabanastre; it took Alysandra weeks to convince Laverna to allow her to accompany her, and when she learned that she was actually assassinating people, she balked a little. Killing monsters was one thing, but killing people? But then, these were uncivilised barbarians, and if that was what it took for her to get her hands on the nethicite shard, so be it.

Alysandra found herself playing the role of a distraction, which fit her particular talents rather well: given that everyone was on heightened alert in Dalmasca, and now more than ever her partner needed to remain incognito; a flurry of direct requests would do her little good. It was Alysandra who acted both as her support and as her go-between for her clients, and it paid quite handsomely: she suddenly had more money than she could even dream of, the respect she deserved – although this was by way of her association to one of Ivalice’s most skilled assassins, and not her own skills – and access to a rather interesting criminal underworld. She still lacked the one thing she desired, however: a nethicite shard.

So, when she was approached by someone claiming to be the Prince of Dalmasca – who was supposed to be dead, but then, it was supposed to be Esper-wielding mortals that killed him; this region was full of rubbish – requesting that the Archadian Consul be assassinated, offering a shard of nethicite as payment, Alysandra jumped on the opportunity and, fortunately, her partner needed little convincing. Given her contributions thus far, whilst it was doubtful her stoic companion would let her keep the shard, she should at least be able to study it for a time once the deed was done…

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Having trouble picking themes this time around...xD

Still planning on starting tomorrow, for anyone curious~

 

[Martel]

Accepted, Galmski~

RP is now up! People know where they're starting out, so we all have something to do for now. We can plan the rest slightly in advance as we go, be it in here or via PM. Let us have fun with this one :3