Spell 0 ~ Info Post
Memories:
Currently at 16%; 5% unused.
1% on very basic magical knowledge from her world
1% on the spells Cure, Fire, Poison, Poisona, Drain, Esuna, and Libra
1% on the spells Float, Dispel, Reflect, Silence, Teleport, Rasp and Confuse
1% on magicite
1% on Ifrit
1% on her full name and birthday
1% on Vector
1% on being studied for her magical abilities
1% on vague memories of Kefka and how he treated her.
1% on the state of her world after Kefka destroyed it
1% on how to morph
1% on how to change back
1% on her Esper half
1% on Maduin
1% on General Leo and their conversation on the boat when headed to Thamasa
1% on fleeing the Empire in Narshe.
Characters that can see souls would do well to note that Terra's is split evenly down the middle - one half is normal, but the other half looks something like this.
Terra's background contains major spoilers for FFVI. Read at your own risk!
Background:
1000 years before Terra's birth, the War of the Magi ripped through her world. Waged by three gods between themselves, the fighting caused massive magical energy to be unleashed throughout the world. Any human that was touched by said energy was transformed into an Esper, a magical being that the gods then took control of, forcing them to fight. Eventually the gods realized the damage that they had done. Ashamed, they freed the Espers and turned themselves to stone so that their power would never be misused again. The Espers tried to coexist with humans, but their differences were now to great, and the Espers left to find a place where they could live in peace. They took the stone statues of the gods, now called the Warring Triad, and sealed the cave behind them so that no humans could follow.
Many, many years passed without any magic whatsoever. The world turned to things like steam power to replace the hole magic had left in their lives. Lead by a man named Gestahl, the Empire is now in control of most of the developing technology.
The barrier that the Espers placed on the cave to their home weakened over time, and one day a wounded young woman named Madeline stumbled through the gate and into the world of the Espers. They all mistrusted her instantly, except for Maduin, who believed that she was harmless and a good person. He nursed her back to health, and when she had recovered, Madeline tried to leave but was stopped by Maduin. He had fallen in love with her, and asked her to stay with him. She felt the same way, so she agreed, and eventually Madeline gave birth to Terra.
Two years after Terra had been born, Gestahl finally found the sealed cave to the Esper world, and stormed through the weakened barrier with a bunch of troops. They took the Espers totally by surprise and managed to capture many of them. Blaming herself for the invasion, Madeline fled to the entrance of the gate with baby Terra. Maduin follows after her as the Elder begins casting a spell to seal the cave forever. Maduin pleads with Madeline to come back with him, but just as she agrees the spell grows in power and throws all three of them out and into the Emperor's hands. As Madeline begs for her daughter's life to be saved, Gestahl realizes that she is a human, and therefore her baby must be both human and Esper. Heartlessly, he kills Madeline and takes both Terra and Maduin along with many other captured Espers.
Sixteen years pass. Terra's power is whispered about among the Empire; rumors spread about how she managed to fry elite soldiers in mere seconds with her magic. Controlled by the Slave Crown on her head, Biggs and Wedge take Terra to Narshe, a mining town in the mountains, so that they can investigate the claim of an Esper being found within the mines, intact but frozen solid. Robbed of her free will, all Terra can do is follow orders until the three of them reach the frozen Esper. It speaks directly to Terra's mind, and in a blinding flash of light vaporize Biggs and Wedge.
When Terra awakens, she finds herself in the home of Arvis, a man supporting the Returners, a resistance movement. The Slave Crown has been removed, but she can't remember anything besides her name. ((Clearly Memento Eden will feel like home to her right away.)) There isn't any time for her to sit around and recover, however, because the Empire is hot on her heels. Terra flees into the mines to escape, but doesn't get far; part of the floor collapses and she falls deeper into the mines. Unconscious and defenseless, the Empire would have taken control of her again if it wasn't for a man named Locke and a small army of Moogles rushing to her rescue. Arvis had called upon Locke to assist Terra, even though the treasure hunter (not thief!) is a part of the Returners; he tells Locke that Terra had been under the Empire's control, and that she could be a huge help in the resistance movement if they could get her to join them.
Locke and Terra flee to the desert kingdom of Figaro to escape the Empire. On the surface, the young King of Figaro is allied with the Empire, but he's really been working with the Returners and is an old friend of Locke's. King Edgar is also a womanizer, and he hits on Terra almost immediately after meeting her. Edgar offers them sanctuary, but it doesn't last long - that night, the castle is attacked by Kefka, Emperor Gestahl's right-hand man. He sets Figaro castle on fire and demands that Edgar turn Terra over to him, but Edgar refuses, fleeing the castle with Terra and Locke. They are pursued by some soldiers and Terra finally uses her magic to defeat them. Locke and Edgar freak out at first, but Locke defends Terra, saying that she's still a person just like them - the only difference is that she can use magic. Edgar agrees, and Terra thanks them for accepting her and her power.
They head to the town of South Figaro and then through Mount Kolts, where they run into Sabin, Edgar's twin brother. He joins them and they continue on to the Returner's Hideout. At the hideout, Terra meets Banon, their leader. He asks Terra to join the Returners, but she is still confused and unsure of what to do. After talking to Locke and giving it some thought, she finally decides to help the resistance. As they're planning the next move, a wounded man stumbles in and tells them that the Empire has taken control of South Figaro and are on their way to the hideout. Banon, Terra, Edgar and Sabin prepare to flee to Narshe and the frozen Esper via a raft, while Locke leaves them to infiltrate South Figaro and try to learn more about the Empire. On the raft, they encounter a large purple octopus named Ultros, and after the battle Sabin is separated from the raft when he tries to go after the monster. The other three continue on to Narshe, where they reunite with Arvis and wait for Sabin and Locke to rejoin them.
During his journey, Sabin was joined by Cyan - the last remaining solder of Doma after the castle was attacked by the Empire - and Gau, a semi-feral child they picked up while on the Veldt. Locke returns with Celes, a former general of the Empire. Everyone regroups at Arvis's house, and they plan to head into the mines so that Terra can try to talk to the frozen Esper. They don't have much time to prepare, however, for Kefka and a bunch of soldiers show up to take the Esper for themselves. Celes talks to Terra as they head to the battleground; as a general in the Empire, she had known what Terra was capable of. Celes explains that she can only use magic because she was artificially infused with it when she was still a baby, unlike Terra who was born with her powers. Abruptly, Terra asks her if she can love anyone. Confused and offended by the question, Celes brushes Terra off, leaving the other girl behind.
The Returners are successful in the battle, and they all head into the mountains where the Esper had been moved to. It beings in glow once again, and the light knocks all but Terra away. The others call out for her, but Terra starts to glow as well, and in a flash of light she is transformed into a pink Esper-like being. With a shriek, she flies off into the distance.
After resting for a bit, the others decide to look for Terra. People reported seeing a pink creature flying off toward the west. They head to Kohlingen, Locke's hometown, and some details of his past are revealed. From there they go to Zozo, a town full of thieves and robbers, where the rain seems to be relentless. After hearing all manner of convoluted answers from the dishonest people of the town, they eventually climb the to the top of the tallest building, and find Terra in bed, unconscious and still in her Esper form. An old man greets them, introducing himself as the Esper Ramuh. He tells the others that Terra is unharmed, but she is frightened. Ramuh tells them about the War of the Magi, and why the Espers fled to the land beyond the sealed gate. He explains that Emperor Gestahl desired the power of the Espers and broke though the barrier, capturing many Espers in the process.
As Ramuh talks, Terra stirs restlessly, crying out in pain. The others express concern for their friend and ask Ramuh what they can do to help her. He suggests going to the Magitek Research Facility and freeing the trapped Espers, since one of them might be able to help her. Gestahl created the facility to drain Espers of their power, thinking it was the best way to get their magic, but Ramuh explains that this method only weakens them. To receive an Esper's full power, the Esper must die and become magicite, the crystallized form of their essence. He gives the group three pieces of magicite, then turns himself into magicite as well. He says he is tired and wants to prevent another War of the Magi, something that Gestahl is surely on the way to creating.
The Magitek Research Facility is located at Vector, the Imperial Capital. To get there Locke and the others would need either a boat or an airship, so they go to Jidoor to talk to the nobles of the town and see if any of them might have a way in to Vector. There, they meet the Impresario, a man in charge of the local Opera House. He mistakes Celes for Maria, the star of the opera, and in a tizzy tells them that Setzer is planning to kidnap Maria at the next show. As it turns out, Setzer is the owner of the Blackjack, the world's only airship - and the perfect way to get to Vector. Locke manages to convince Celes to pose as Maria so that she will be kidnapped in Maria's place. The ruse works, and after some clever gambling on Celes's part, they win Setzer over to their cause. Throwing his chips in with the Returners, Setzer welcomes them aboard his airship.
They land some distance away from Vector, and with Setzer staying on the ship, the others head to the Magitek Research Facility. They find the Espers trapped in tubes, slowly being drained of their power. Sensing Ramuh and the other three Espers the party has, the trapped Espers also turn themselves into magicite in order to help them. Cid, the chief genetic engineer of the Empire and the man that came up with the process of artificially infusing people with magic taken from the Espers, had watched this happen. Kefka appears, laughing madly with glee at finally finding out how to harness the power of the Espers. He sees Celes with the group and orders her to kill the others and take back the magicite. Locke is instantly distrustful and hurt, thinking Celes was a spy all along, but she denies it. To prove her loyalty, she teleports herself and Kefka away, saving the others. Now unstable, the Facility begins to crash, and Cid helps the others escape. He tells them that Celes is like a daughter to him, and after seeing how much the Espers have suffered he expresses true guilt and shame for what he had been doing for so many years. Cid stays behind, but the others escape to Setzer's airship, and they fly back to Zozo and Terra.
There, the magicite of Maduin reacts to Terra, and she regains all of her memories. In a flashback, we see the past of Madeline and Maduin, and what Gestahl did. Now fully aware of and accepting her other half, Terra rejoins the group, thanking them for helping her.
Back in Narshe, Banon tells the others that the only way to stop the Empire is to go to the Sealed Gate and have Terra ask the Espers for their help. She agrees and they head to the Cave leading to the Gate, which is strangely devoid of the Empire's presence despite them having a base there. Once through the Cave, Terra walks up to the Gate, calling out to the Espers. Before she can get a response, Kefka appears, and the lack of troops at the base is suddenly clear - Gestahl knew that Terra was the only person that could open the Gate, so he planned to let her though so that he could then get inside the Gate as well. The others stop Kefka while Terra tries to talk to the Espers, and suddenly the Gate bursts open as many Espers fly out of it in a frenzy. They lash out blindly, attacking anything and everything in their path, and fly off. Rocks fall across the Gate, sealing it once again.
Everyone goes back to the airship, where they learn that the Espers flew toward Vector. As the party flies there, Terra senses the presence of many Espers, saying that they're angry - and headed right for the Blackjack. The Espers attack and the Blackjack crashes, leaving everyone stunned but alive. Setzer mourns the temporary loss of his beloved airship as the others walk to Vector.
The Imperial Capital isn't in good shape; the entire city is on fire, and many buildings have been destroyed. Cid tells everyone that the Espers went to Vector to save their friends, and when they learned that they were all dead, tore the city apart. Emperor Gestahl, now fully aware of what the Espers are capable of, claims to have realized the error of his ways and wants a truce with the Returners. Terra and the others are wary, but willing to listen, so they attend the dinner party Gestahl holds for them. There, they talk about Gestahl's reasons, and while he seemed very convincing, everyone is still hesitant to trust him completely. The Emperor swears that there will be no more fighting, and then asks them for a favor. He wants Terra to talk to the still-enraged Espers and explain to them that they've reached an understanding so that they won't torch anymore towns. Terra agrees, and Locke offers to go with her. Leo, another general, accompanies them as well.
Everyone meets in Albrook, where Leo introduces Terra and Locke to two others that will be helping them - an assassin named Shadow (who had previously aided Sabin when he fell from the raft), and Celes. Locke is happy to see Celes safe, but she ignores him and walks away. They all board a boat headed to Thamasa. That night, Terra is unable to sleep, and is joined on dock by Leo. She asks him if it's strange, her working with the Empire after all they had done to her, and Leo says that not everyone in the Empire is evil like Kefka. Terra wonders that, since her parents were an Esper and a human, if it's possible for her to love a human as well. Leo tells her that of course it is, and she says that she's never felt that way before. "You're still young, give it time." he tells her, and leaves. "But... I want to feel that way now..." she responds quietly.
When they reach land, they split into two groups. Terra goes with Locke and Shadow to the town of Thamasa. The townspeople treat them coldly, even rudely, until they meet an elderly man named Strago and his granddaughter Relm. They claim to know nothing about Espers, but everyone agrees that Strago is definitely acting suspiciously. That night, Strago wakes up the sleeping group, screaming that Relm is trapped in a burning building and begging them for help saving her. The townspeople try using magic to douse the flames to Terra's amazement. The fire is out of control, however, and so Strago joins them and they venture into the building. They rescue Relm in the nick of time, and in thanks Strago tells them about the village of Thamasa. It used to be known as the Village of the Magi, but to protect themselves their ancestors tried to hide the fact that they could all use magic. Once learning about the berserk Espers, Strago says that the local mountains are full of ancient magical energy, and suggests that it may have drawn the Espers there.
Strago joins them and they go to the Crescent Mountain. There, they find statues of the Warring Triad, with the story of the War of the Magi carved onto them. Ultros appears again, planning to steal the statues and sell them for tons of money. They battle him and Relm appears; she had been following them the entire time, upset at being left behind. She offers to paint Ultros's portrait, and when she does he sees that he's nothing but an old, washed-up octopus and flees without the statues. They continue on and find the Espers hiding deeper in the cave. They explain that they heard Terra's call, but when they flew through the Gate, they lost control of their powers and went berserk. They agree to the truce the Emperor proposed and go back to Thamasa with Terra.
Back at Thamasa, Leo meets the Espers. They each apologize for what they had done in the past. Locke and Celes make up, and all seems to be headed for a bright future... and then Kefka crashes their happy little party. Laughing insanely, he orders the troops he's brought along to torch the village. Outraged, Leo tries to defeat him, but Kefka proves too strong - and far too willing to cheat - and emerges the victor, killing Leo with his own sword. More Espers arrive from beyond the Sealed Gate, which they had burst forth from upon sensing their companion's screams. Cackling with twisted glee, Kefka turns all of the Espers into magicite as the town burns.
They morn Leo's death, as he was one of the few truly good men that had power in the corrupt Empire. Terra is particularly upset, as she wanted to get to know him better and learn more from him. The others arrive after fleeing Vector (thanks to a tip from a waitress that Edgar became close to) and with Strago and Relm along, they board the Blackjack to regroup. Strago reveals that the Statues of the Warring Triad are supposed to be locked behind the Sealed Gate, which is exactly where Gestahl and Kefka are headed. Now open and unguarded because of the Espers bursting from it, they simply walk right past the Gate and into the Esper World, right to the Statues. The Warring Triad had turned themselves to stone while facing one another, so that their power would be neutralized. If they were to be moved, it would surely bring about the end of the world, according to Strago. With the power of the Statues, Gestahl breaks apart the land surrounding the Sealed Gate, and the huge land mass rises into the air. The party makes their way there to stop Gestahl and save the world.
They confront Gestahl and Kefka in front of the Statues. Gestahl wants to rule the world with the power the Statues can give him, but Kefka wants none of that - his goal is to destroy the world, to end all life and leave nothing remaining. He murders Gestahl and begins to move the Stautes, throwing off their delicate balance. The floating island begins to crumble as the party flees to the Blackjack, but even that is useless as the power unleashed from the moved Statues breaks the airship in half and everyone falls.
The world wasn't destroyed, exactly, but it was changed drastically. The earth is now seemingly lifeless, the ground rust-colored and barren. Plants refuse to grow, the sky is an angry, fiery red, and the remaining people have all but given up hope in this new ruined world. Kekfa rules over the despairing people from his Tower, using a massive beam of energy called the Light of Judgment to torch any town that defies him.
The very same day that Kefka moved the Statues, he attacked the town of Mobliz with his Light of Judgment, destroying the town. The only survivors were small children and Duane and Katarin, sixteen year old sweethearts. Terra somehow ended up in Mobliz, and even though she was only 18 at the time, the small children looked to her as their parent figure, having no one else. They soon came to call her "Mama", and Terra found that being a mother to so many was something that she greatly enjoyed.
It is here that, a year later, some of the others find Terra. They talk to her, asking her to rejoin them in their quest to take down Kefka, but she refuses, saying that the will to fight has vanished from her. This is made even clearer when a monster called Humbaba attacks the village and Terra can't even fight to protect the children. The others drive Humbaba off, leaving Terra to think about the new things she's feeling and to come to terms with herself once again.
Some time passes. The others had gathered more members of the resistance together and decide to pay Terra another visit. Terra is trying to resolve a fight between Duane and Katarin; Katarin is pregnant and Duane doesn't know how he can support a family with the state the world is in. Just as their argument is resolved, Humbaba attacks again, and Terra asks the others to engage the monster since she still lacks the power to fight. Humbaba seems stronger, however, and the others struggle in their battle. Terra finally finds the will to fight inside of her again. To protect the children and her companions, she steps up and defeats Humbaba once and for all. She had transformed into her Esper form, and the children are first scared of her appearance, but once they realize that she isn't a monster at all they run to her. Terra realizes that she had found love caring for the children, and that love could also manifest itself in her desire to protect them. She agrees to rejoin the others and defeat Kefka so that the children can grow up in a world without fear.
After gathering all of her old companions (and two new ones!) Terra and the others fly to Kefka's Tower to defeat him... but she finds herself transported to Memento Eden before that can happen.
Personality:
A quiet, mysterious woman, Terra is the only half-human half-Esper in existence. While that allowed her to be born with the gift of magic, it has also left her wondering if she could ever truly love another because of her dual nature. Love is something that is very important to Terra, and she focuses on it and wonders about it so much that when she finally does find love, she doesn't even realize it. The feeling that seemed so obscure and aloof to her was inside her all along, and when she finds this out it makes her into a very strong woman with ever-growing confidence and power.
Before she finds that love, however, Terra often seems confused and lost. When Locke first meets her, she has no memory of anything other than her name, and as fragments of what the Empire put her through come back to her, it only makes her more afraid and unsure. First the resistance tries to recruit her, and she agrees... then suddenly she finds herself working with the Empire again, even though she had fully remembered what they had done to her. Her confusion is understandable, but it still bothers her as she tries to find answers.
Even before she learns that she is half-Esper, Terra understood that she was different. When Edgar hits on her, instead of being flattered or even upset by his advances, she barely reacts at all. She understands that a normal woman probably would have felt something for the handsome king, but she is very aware that she is hardly normal.
Despite knowing that she is different and fearing her power, Terra uses it when she must. As she fled Figaro with Locke and Edgar, she didn't hesitate to attack their pursuers with magic. It isn't until she transforms into an Esper for the first time that she realizes just what she is capable of and what her nature truly is, and until she is reunited with her Esper father Maduin she is so terrified of herself that she falls into a coma. She gains confidence once she learns who and what she is, and the acceptance from her companions also strengthens her.
Item Lost:
The magicite of Maduin.
Currently at 16%; 5% unused.
1% on very basic magical knowledge from her world
1% on the spells Cure, Fire, Poison, Poisona, Drain, Esuna, and Libra
1% on the spells Float, Dispel, Reflect, Silence, Teleport, Rasp and Confuse
1% on magicite
1% on Ifrit
1% on her full name and birthday
1% on Vector
1% on being studied for her magical abilities
1% on vague memories of Kefka and how he treated her.
1% on the state of her world after Kefka destroyed it
1% on how to morph
1% on how to change back
1% on her Esper half
1% on Maduin
1% on General Leo and their conversation on the boat when headed to Thamasa
1% on fleeing the Empire in Narshe.
Characters that can see souls would do well to note that Terra's is split evenly down the middle - one half is normal, but the other half looks something like this.
Terra's background contains major spoilers for FFVI. Read at your own risk!
Background:
1000 years before Terra's birth, the War of the Magi ripped through her world. Waged by three gods between themselves, the fighting caused massive magical energy to be unleashed throughout the world. Any human that was touched by said energy was transformed into an Esper, a magical being that the gods then took control of, forcing them to fight. Eventually the gods realized the damage that they had done. Ashamed, they freed the Espers and turned themselves to stone so that their power would never be misused again. The Espers tried to coexist with humans, but their differences were now to great, and the Espers left to find a place where they could live in peace. They took the stone statues of the gods, now called the Warring Triad, and sealed the cave behind them so that no humans could follow.
Many, many years passed without any magic whatsoever. The world turned to things like steam power to replace the hole magic had left in their lives. Lead by a man named Gestahl, the Empire is now in control of most of the developing technology.
The barrier that the Espers placed on the cave to their home weakened over time, and one day a wounded young woman named Madeline stumbled through the gate and into the world of the Espers. They all mistrusted her instantly, except for Maduin, who believed that she was harmless and a good person. He nursed her back to health, and when she had recovered, Madeline tried to leave but was stopped by Maduin. He had fallen in love with her, and asked her to stay with him. She felt the same way, so she agreed, and eventually Madeline gave birth to Terra.
Two years after Terra had been born, Gestahl finally found the sealed cave to the Esper world, and stormed through the weakened barrier with a bunch of troops. They took the Espers totally by surprise and managed to capture many of them. Blaming herself for the invasion, Madeline fled to the entrance of the gate with baby Terra. Maduin follows after her as the Elder begins casting a spell to seal the cave forever. Maduin pleads with Madeline to come back with him, but just as she agrees the spell grows in power and throws all three of them out and into the Emperor's hands. As Madeline begs for her daughter's life to be saved, Gestahl realizes that she is a human, and therefore her baby must be both human and Esper. Heartlessly, he kills Madeline and takes both Terra and Maduin along with many other captured Espers.
Sixteen years pass. Terra's power is whispered about among the Empire; rumors spread about how she managed to fry elite soldiers in mere seconds with her magic. Controlled by the Slave Crown on her head, Biggs and Wedge take Terra to Narshe, a mining town in the mountains, so that they can investigate the claim of an Esper being found within the mines, intact but frozen solid. Robbed of her free will, all Terra can do is follow orders until the three of them reach the frozen Esper. It speaks directly to Terra's mind, and in a blinding flash of light vaporize Biggs and Wedge.
When Terra awakens, she finds herself in the home of Arvis, a man supporting the Returners, a resistance movement. The Slave Crown has been removed, but she can't remember anything besides her name. ((Clearly Memento Eden will feel like home to her right away.)) There isn't any time for her to sit around and recover, however, because the Empire is hot on her heels. Terra flees into the mines to escape, but doesn't get far; part of the floor collapses and she falls deeper into the mines. Unconscious and defenseless, the Empire would have taken control of her again if it wasn't for a man named Locke and a small army of Moogles rushing to her rescue. Arvis had called upon Locke to assist Terra, even though the treasure hunter (not thief!) is a part of the Returners; he tells Locke that Terra had been under the Empire's control, and that she could be a huge help in the resistance movement if they could get her to join them.
Locke and Terra flee to the desert kingdom of Figaro to escape the Empire. On the surface, the young King of Figaro is allied with the Empire, but he's really been working with the Returners and is an old friend of Locke's. King Edgar is also a womanizer, and he hits on Terra almost immediately after meeting her. Edgar offers them sanctuary, but it doesn't last long - that night, the castle is attacked by Kefka, Emperor Gestahl's right-hand man. He sets Figaro castle on fire and demands that Edgar turn Terra over to him, but Edgar refuses, fleeing the castle with Terra and Locke. They are pursued by some soldiers and Terra finally uses her magic to defeat them. Locke and Edgar freak out at first, but Locke defends Terra, saying that she's still a person just like them - the only difference is that she can use magic. Edgar agrees, and Terra thanks them for accepting her and her power.
They head to the town of South Figaro and then through Mount Kolts, where they run into Sabin, Edgar's twin brother. He joins them and they continue on to the Returner's Hideout. At the hideout, Terra meets Banon, their leader. He asks Terra to join the Returners, but she is still confused and unsure of what to do. After talking to Locke and giving it some thought, she finally decides to help the resistance. As they're planning the next move, a wounded man stumbles in and tells them that the Empire has taken control of South Figaro and are on their way to the hideout. Banon, Terra, Edgar and Sabin prepare to flee to Narshe and the frozen Esper via a raft, while Locke leaves them to infiltrate South Figaro and try to learn more about the Empire. On the raft, they encounter a large purple octopus named Ultros, and after the battle Sabin is separated from the raft when he tries to go after the monster. The other three continue on to Narshe, where they reunite with Arvis and wait for Sabin and Locke to rejoin them.
During his journey, Sabin was joined by Cyan - the last remaining solder of Doma after the castle was attacked by the Empire - and Gau, a semi-feral child they picked up while on the Veldt. Locke returns with Celes, a former general of the Empire. Everyone regroups at Arvis's house, and they plan to head into the mines so that Terra can try to talk to the frozen Esper. They don't have much time to prepare, however, for Kefka and a bunch of soldiers show up to take the Esper for themselves. Celes talks to Terra as they head to the battleground; as a general in the Empire, she had known what Terra was capable of. Celes explains that she can only use magic because she was artificially infused with it when she was still a baby, unlike Terra who was born with her powers. Abruptly, Terra asks her if she can love anyone. Confused and offended by the question, Celes brushes Terra off, leaving the other girl behind.
The Returners are successful in the battle, and they all head into the mountains where the Esper had been moved to. It beings in glow once again, and the light knocks all but Terra away. The others call out for her, but Terra starts to glow as well, and in a flash of light she is transformed into a pink Esper-like being. With a shriek, she flies off into the distance.
After resting for a bit, the others decide to look for Terra. People reported seeing a pink creature flying off toward the west. They head to Kohlingen, Locke's hometown, and some details of his past are revealed. From there they go to Zozo, a town full of thieves and robbers, where the rain seems to be relentless. After hearing all manner of convoluted answers from the dishonest people of the town, they eventually climb the to the top of the tallest building, and find Terra in bed, unconscious and still in her Esper form. An old man greets them, introducing himself as the Esper Ramuh. He tells the others that Terra is unharmed, but she is frightened. Ramuh tells them about the War of the Magi, and why the Espers fled to the land beyond the sealed gate. He explains that Emperor Gestahl desired the power of the Espers and broke though the barrier, capturing many Espers in the process.
As Ramuh talks, Terra stirs restlessly, crying out in pain. The others express concern for their friend and ask Ramuh what they can do to help her. He suggests going to the Magitek Research Facility and freeing the trapped Espers, since one of them might be able to help her. Gestahl created the facility to drain Espers of their power, thinking it was the best way to get their magic, but Ramuh explains that this method only weakens them. To receive an Esper's full power, the Esper must die and become magicite, the crystallized form of their essence. He gives the group three pieces of magicite, then turns himself into magicite as well. He says he is tired and wants to prevent another War of the Magi, something that Gestahl is surely on the way to creating.
The Magitek Research Facility is located at Vector, the Imperial Capital. To get there Locke and the others would need either a boat or an airship, so they go to Jidoor to talk to the nobles of the town and see if any of them might have a way in to Vector. There, they meet the Impresario, a man in charge of the local Opera House. He mistakes Celes for Maria, the star of the opera, and in a tizzy tells them that Setzer is planning to kidnap Maria at the next show. As it turns out, Setzer is the owner of the Blackjack, the world's only airship - and the perfect way to get to Vector. Locke manages to convince Celes to pose as Maria so that she will be kidnapped in Maria's place. The ruse works, and after some clever gambling on Celes's part, they win Setzer over to their cause. Throwing his chips in with the Returners, Setzer welcomes them aboard his airship.
They land some distance away from Vector, and with Setzer staying on the ship, the others head to the Magitek Research Facility. They find the Espers trapped in tubes, slowly being drained of their power. Sensing Ramuh and the other three Espers the party has, the trapped Espers also turn themselves into magicite in order to help them. Cid, the chief genetic engineer of the Empire and the man that came up with the process of artificially infusing people with magic taken from the Espers, had watched this happen. Kefka appears, laughing madly with glee at finally finding out how to harness the power of the Espers. He sees Celes with the group and orders her to kill the others and take back the magicite. Locke is instantly distrustful and hurt, thinking Celes was a spy all along, but she denies it. To prove her loyalty, she teleports herself and Kefka away, saving the others. Now unstable, the Facility begins to crash, and Cid helps the others escape. He tells them that Celes is like a daughter to him, and after seeing how much the Espers have suffered he expresses true guilt and shame for what he had been doing for so many years. Cid stays behind, but the others escape to Setzer's airship, and they fly back to Zozo and Terra.
There, the magicite of Maduin reacts to Terra, and she regains all of her memories. In a flashback, we see the past of Madeline and Maduin, and what Gestahl did. Now fully aware of and accepting her other half, Terra rejoins the group, thanking them for helping her.
Back in Narshe, Banon tells the others that the only way to stop the Empire is to go to the Sealed Gate and have Terra ask the Espers for their help. She agrees and they head to the Cave leading to the Gate, which is strangely devoid of the Empire's presence despite them having a base there. Once through the Cave, Terra walks up to the Gate, calling out to the Espers. Before she can get a response, Kefka appears, and the lack of troops at the base is suddenly clear - Gestahl knew that Terra was the only person that could open the Gate, so he planned to let her though so that he could then get inside the Gate as well. The others stop Kefka while Terra tries to talk to the Espers, and suddenly the Gate bursts open as many Espers fly out of it in a frenzy. They lash out blindly, attacking anything and everything in their path, and fly off. Rocks fall across the Gate, sealing it once again.
Everyone goes back to the airship, where they learn that the Espers flew toward Vector. As the party flies there, Terra senses the presence of many Espers, saying that they're angry - and headed right for the Blackjack. The Espers attack and the Blackjack crashes, leaving everyone stunned but alive. Setzer mourns the temporary loss of his beloved airship as the others walk to Vector.
The Imperial Capital isn't in good shape; the entire city is on fire, and many buildings have been destroyed. Cid tells everyone that the Espers went to Vector to save their friends, and when they learned that they were all dead, tore the city apart. Emperor Gestahl, now fully aware of what the Espers are capable of, claims to have realized the error of his ways and wants a truce with the Returners. Terra and the others are wary, but willing to listen, so they attend the dinner party Gestahl holds for them. There, they talk about Gestahl's reasons, and while he seemed very convincing, everyone is still hesitant to trust him completely. The Emperor swears that there will be no more fighting, and then asks them for a favor. He wants Terra to talk to the still-enraged Espers and explain to them that they've reached an understanding so that they won't torch anymore towns. Terra agrees, and Locke offers to go with her. Leo, another general, accompanies them as well.
Everyone meets in Albrook, where Leo introduces Terra and Locke to two others that will be helping them - an assassin named Shadow (who had previously aided Sabin when he fell from the raft), and Celes. Locke is happy to see Celes safe, but she ignores him and walks away. They all board a boat headed to Thamasa. That night, Terra is unable to sleep, and is joined on dock by Leo. She asks him if it's strange, her working with the Empire after all they had done to her, and Leo says that not everyone in the Empire is evil like Kefka. Terra wonders that, since her parents were an Esper and a human, if it's possible for her to love a human as well. Leo tells her that of course it is, and she says that she's never felt that way before. "You're still young, give it time." he tells her, and leaves. "But... I want to feel that way now..." she responds quietly.
When they reach land, they split into two groups. Terra goes with Locke and Shadow to the town of Thamasa. The townspeople treat them coldly, even rudely, until they meet an elderly man named Strago and his granddaughter Relm. They claim to know nothing about Espers, but everyone agrees that Strago is definitely acting suspiciously. That night, Strago wakes up the sleeping group, screaming that Relm is trapped in a burning building and begging them for help saving her. The townspeople try using magic to douse the flames to Terra's amazement. The fire is out of control, however, and so Strago joins them and they venture into the building. They rescue Relm in the nick of time, and in thanks Strago tells them about the village of Thamasa. It used to be known as the Village of the Magi, but to protect themselves their ancestors tried to hide the fact that they could all use magic. Once learning about the berserk Espers, Strago says that the local mountains are full of ancient magical energy, and suggests that it may have drawn the Espers there.
Strago joins them and they go to the Crescent Mountain. There, they find statues of the Warring Triad, with the story of the War of the Magi carved onto them. Ultros appears again, planning to steal the statues and sell them for tons of money. They battle him and Relm appears; she had been following them the entire time, upset at being left behind. She offers to paint Ultros's portrait, and when she does he sees that he's nothing but an old, washed-up octopus and flees without the statues. They continue on and find the Espers hiding deeper in the cave. They explain that they heard Terra's call, but when they flew through the Gate, they lost control of their powers and went berserk. They agree to the truce the Emperor proposed and go back to Thamasa with Terra.
Back at Thamasa, Leo meets the Espers. They each apologize for what they had done in the past. Locke and Celes make up, and all seems to be headed for a bright future... and then Kefka crashes their happy little party. Laughing insanely, he orders the troops he's brought along to torch the village. Outraged, Leo tries to defeat him, but Kefka proves too strong - and far too willing to cheat - and emerges the victor, killing Leo with his own sword. More Espers arrive from beyond the Sealed Gate, which they had burst forth from upon sensing their companion's screams. Cackling with twisted glee, Kefka turns all of the Espers into magicite as the town burns.
They morn Leo's death, as he was one of the few truly good men that had power in the corrupt Empire. Terra is particularly upset, as she wanted to get to know him better and learn more from him. The others arrive after fleeing Vector (thanks to a tip from a waitress that Edgar became close to) and with Strago and Relm along, they board the Blackjack to regroup. Strago reveals that the Statues of the Warring Triad are supposed to be locked behind the Sealed Gate, which is exactly where Gestahl and Kefka are headed. Now open and unguarded because of the Espers bursting from it, they simply walk right past the Gate and into the Esper World, right to the Statues. The Warring Triad had turned themselves to stone while facing one another, so that their power would be neutralized. If they were to be moved, it would surely bring about the end of the world, according to Strago. With the power of the Statues, Gestahl breaks apart the land surrounding the Sealed Gate, and the huge land mass rises into the air. The party makes their way there to stop Gestahl and save the world.
They confront Gestahl and Kefka in front of the Statues. Gestahl wants to rule the world with the power the Statues can give him, but Kefka wants none of that - his goal is to destroy the world, to end all life and leave nothing remaining. He murders Gestahl and begins to move the Stautes, throwing off their delicate balance. The floating island begins to crumble as the party flees to the Blackjack, but even that is useless as the power unleashed from the moved Statues breaks the airship in half and everyone falls.
The world wasn't destroyed, exactly, but it was changed drastically. The earth is now seemingly lifeless, the ground rust-colored and barren. Plants refuse to grow, the sky is an angry, fiery red, and the remaining people have all but given up hope in this new ruined world. Kekfa rules over the despairing people from his Tower, using a massive beam of energy called the Light of Judgment to torch any town that defies him.
The very same day that Kefka moved the Statues, he attacked the town of Mobliz with his Light of Judgment, destroying the town. The only survivors were small children and Duane and Katarin, sixteen year old sweethearts. Terra somehow ended up in Mobliz, and even though she was only 18 at the time, the small children looked to her as their parent figure, having no one else. They soon came to call her "Mama", and Terra found that being a mother to so many was something that she greatly enjoyed.
It is here that, a year later, some of the others find Terra. They talk to her, asking her to rejoin them in their quest to take down Kefka, but she refuses, saying that the will to fight has vanished from her. This is made even clearer when a monster called Humbaba attacks the village and Terra can't even fight to protect the children. The others drive Humbaba off, leaving Terra to think about the new things she's feeling and to come to terms with herself once again.
Some time passes. The others had gathered more members of the resistance together and decide to pay Terra another visit. Terra is trying to resolve a fight between Duane and Katarin; Katarin is pregnant and Duane doesn't know how he can support a family with the state the world is in. Just as their argument is resolved, Humbaba attacks again, and Terra asks the others to engage the monster since she still lacks the power to fight. Humbaba seems stronger, however, and the others struggle in their battle. Terra finally finds the will to fight inside of her again. To protect the children and her companions, she steps up and defeats Humbaba once and for all. She had transformed into her Esper form, and the children are first scared of her appearance, but once they realize that she isn't a monster at all they run to her. Terra realizes that she had found love caring for the children, and that love could also manifest itself in her desire to protect them. She agrees to rejoin the others and defeat Kefka so that the children can grow up in a world without fear.
After gathering all of her old companions (and two new ones!) Terra and the others fly to Kefka's Tower to defeat him... but she finds herself transported to Memento Eden before that can happen.
Personality:
A quiet, mysterious woman, Terra is the only half-human half-Esper in existence. While that allowed her to be born with the gift of magic, it has also left her wondering if she could ever truly love another because of her dual nature. Love is something that is very important to Terra, and she focuses on it and wonders about it so much that when she finally does find love, she doesn't even realize it. The feeling that seemed so obscure and aloof to her was inside her all along, and when she finds this out it makes her into a very strong woman with ever-growing confidence and power.
Before she finds that love, however, Terra often seems confused and lost. When Locke first meets her, she has no memory of anything other than her name, and as fragments of what the Empire put her through come back to her, it only makes her more afraid and unsure. First the resistance tries to recruit her, and she agrees... then suddenly she finds herself working with the Empire again, even though she had fully remembered what they had done to her. Her confusion is understandable, but it still bothers her as she tries to find answers.
Even before she learns that she is half-Esper, Terra understood that she was different. When Edgar hits on her, instead of being flattered or even upset by his advances, she barely reacts at all. She understands that a normal woman probably would have felt something for the handsome king, but she is very aware that she is hardly normal.
Despite knowing that she is different and fearing her power, Terra uses it when she must. As she fled Figaro with Locke and Edgar, she didn't hesitate to attack their pursuers with magic. It isn't until she transforms into an Esper for the first time that she realizes just what she is capable of and what her nature truly is, and until she is reunited with her Esper father Maduin she is so terrified of herself that she falls into a coma. She gains confidence once she learns who and what she is, and the acceptance from her companions also strengthens her.
Item Lost:
The magicite of Maduin.