(no subject)
PLAYER INFORMATION
Your Name: Emerald
OOC Journal: Do not have
Under 18? If yes, what is your age?: Nope
Email IM: LJ pm | AIM @ notsweetjustsour
Characters Played at Ataraxion: n/a
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Name: Sephiroth
Canon: Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (specifically)
Original or Alternate Universe: Original game
Canon Point: En route to Nibelheim with Zack Fair and Cloud Strife for MAKO reactor inspection.
Number: 010 (or 100 if previous is taken)
Setting: Final Fantasy's Wiki
History: Sephiroth was born approximately thirty years ago to Professor Hojo and Lucrecia Crescent, both scientists for ShinRa’s Jenova Project. The professor injected his pregnant wife with DNA taken from an extra-terrestrial entity known as Jenova, mistakenly thought to be one of the Cetra, or “Ancients”, at her consent, while unknowing of the damage it would cause her unborn son. The cells merged with the child in Lucrecia’s womb, evolving Sephiroth into the first successful super soldier “created” by Shin-Ra.
However, as it was later revealed, "Jenova" was no Ancient, but a monster. Her cells were considered a "calamity" by the true Ancients, and carried within their DNA the potential for total and complete destruction. Many specimens were injected with trace amounts of these cells, but Sephiroth was the only one exposed before his birth, thus allowing him to be born as Jenova's "true son".
Sephiroth was raised in a military/laboratory environment, taught from a very young age the ways of SOLDIER. Told that his mother's name had been "Jenova" and that she'd died during his birth, he wasn’t aware that the scientist monitoring him and conducting seemingly endless experiments during his development was his own father.
Despite the lack of "family" in his upbringing, Sephiroth nevertheless became the very first SOLDIER, attaining the highest rank - that of First Class - very quickly. President ShinRa became impressed with the young man's strength and power, coming to rely on him in emergencies.
The other "specimens" of the Science Department, Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley, also earned First Class rank in the SOLDIER program, and the three soon became good friends and compatriots. Genesis and Angeal had grown up together in the village of Banora and Sephiroth's lack of socialization during his early years might have put more of a strain on their bonds than other outsiders realized, but nevertheless, they mostly functioned as a unit.
However, a few years later, Genesis began to suffer from degradation, and, despite all of Processor Hollander's efforts - the scientist assigned to Project G - began to decline. Finally, he deserted entirely, leaving Angeal and Sephiroth both stunned and saddened, Angeal more than Sephiroth, as Genesis had always coveted Sephiroth's ability, power and strength, any of which Sephiroth would have willingly given him had he been able.
During the war between Shin-Ra and Wutai, Sephiroth served honorably. In the absence of Angeal Hewley, who had also defected and gone after Genesis on his own, hoping to talk sense into him, Sephiroth stepped in as a mentor to young Zack Fair, he and the Gongaga native investigating Dr. Hollander and the Genesis Project.
Coming to the conclusion that Genesis was targeting MAKO reactors across the planet, the ShinRa department heads decided to send their General, his second Zack Fair, and a Third Class SOLDIER, Cloud Strife, to the remote village of Nibelheim, to ensure no disruptions to the reactor were forthcoming.
Personality: Sephiroth is quiet, introspective and coolly professional. Although as Shin-Ra’s premiere SOLDIER, he categorically refuses to acknowledge such a title and carries out his assigned duties with calm dignity. Intelligent, eloquent and confident - at times almost to the point of arrogance - he judges people on his own scale, but his aloof reserved demeanor ofttimes projects uncaring coldness towards others, although this shell hides away a rather cynical sense of quiet humor. Always polite and respectful to those deemed worthy, Sephiroth is always in control of his voice and actions.
To those few individuals he counts as friends he is a steadfast companion, a true pillar of unswerving loyalty. He has even refused direct orders from Shin-Ra’s president when they conflicted with his personal relationships among the other First Class SOLDIERs. He is patient with a few of the other cadets in Shin-Ra’s military program, at times delivering speeches to boost morale and team spirit. A natural leader, he's more than capable of making snap command decisions for the good of his "men" and categorically refuses to send another where he himself will not go. As such, he is used to giving orders and having them carried out; negotiation unfortunately isn't a strength, especially when in a combat or emergency situation.
Despite all of Shin-Ra's PR, their elite General cannot be considered a "people person". He doesn't do very well in crowds, tending to generate aloof silence which is sometimes misconstrued as stoic coldness, when the opposite is the case. Sephiroth has not had the benefits of a well-rounded upbringing, therefore situations in which he is not familiar make him nervous. Nevertheless, with his close companions - of which there are indeed few, alas - the great General can let down his fortress and allow his rather kilted personality to come to the fore, coupled with dry wit, razored cynicism and sometimes dirty mirth.
The loss of Angeal and Genesis hurt him deeply, driving him further into his shell, for Sephiroth was fiercely cut by what he deemed to be the ultimate betrayal; the betrayal of friendship. He considered them both brothers, probably closer than blood kin, but they both "deserted" both him and the SOLDIER unit. This has succeeded in keeping him even more closed emotionally, reluctant to extend any sort of friendship or camaraderie, no matter how hesitant. He did establish a working relationship with Zack Fair after the younger SOLDIER made First Class; the two became as close as Sephiroth would allow, considering his reservations regarding trust and friendship.
On the flip side, however, there are times when he feels he might be more than just a man, something "terrible" and "full of darkness". There are times when he can hear the whispers clearly and they only add to his aloofness from the rest of the world, and because of his engineering, he has come to loathe ShinRa along with its Research and Development department. Inherently mistrustful of science and all of its hostilities, Sephiroth prefers to avoid it altogether, focusing his mind and energy on the SOLDIER program and the cadets within it. A commander's first loyalty is to his men, after all.
Abilities, Weaknesses and Power Limitations: The Wiki states: "Even after so many appearances in several different titles, Sephiroth's true power is unknown." Throughout the entire game series, there have been very few characters able to stand against competently against Sephiroth, including Genesis Rhapsodos, Zack Fair, and Elfe, AVALANCHE's original leader. ShinRa Company made a fortune engineering the proverbial "super soldier program", and in that program, only Sephiroth stands supreme. Even Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley, though friends throughout their youth and earlier projects of the Science Department, are overcome when sparring against Sephiroth; he takes them on concurrently and quickly overpowers both.
So saying, Sephiroth is a master swordsman. He handles the Masamune with amazing ease, despite the sword's power, length and strength; it's a katana over seven feet long hilt to tip, and is powerful enough to slice through foot-thick steel when wielded with Sephiroth's strength.
As a product of scientific engineering, having been altered while enwombed, Sephiroth possesses genetically enhanced speed, strength, stamina, and resilience. He can take damage above and beyond the human limits, and deliver just as much, if not more, in return. Of all the elite SOLDIERs in ShinRa's employ, Sephiroth stands supreme, unbeaten in the training simulators and on the battlefield.
He has mastered all of his materia and wields them at their highest levels. Materia are small baubles of Mako, which is the liquid form of the Lifestream, the river of energy running through the planet of Gaia. This river broaches the planet's crust at random places and oxidizes, forming materia. ShinRa has developed an artificial way to produce materia, settling on five basic types, which can be mixed and matched to create different materia depending on the original used. It's typically "equipped" by sliding a materia bauble into a bracelet, as with offensive spells like Fire and Ice, or into a weapon's slot for supportive magic, giving extra power, support, ect. Materia can also be used several different times until the energy in the bauble is exhausted; it does not have to be delivered in one full dose.
Sephiroth's materia use is mainly in the area of offensive spells, favored for use are Dark Firaga and Hell Thundaga. He also possesses curative materia, as well, but thanks to his engineering, doesn't have to resort to it very often.
However, since a cap on overly powerful characters is necessary, I will limit him to the following "power moves", only to be used in the event they are truly needed (with the mods approval, naturally):
◊ Octaslash - a series of eight successive strikes from the Masamune which are almost unable to avoid
◊ Heartless Angel - a massive physical blow which reduces the enemy's health to 1 (used only in rare cases as it is draining to Sephiroth himself)
For the rest, his genetic engineering should suit well enough.
Strengths:
★ Physical strength. Sephiroth is very nearly invincible. His physical prowess and abilities are almost inhuman and there is very little which can stand against him for any length of time.
★ A natural leader. Command comes very easily to Sephiroth; he's normally a man of quiet spoken presence, more suited to giving orders and having them followed than he is with idle chit-chat. He stands as an example to both his troops and others, holding honor and camaraderie above all else. He thinks very little of personal gain, having never known its lack thanks to ShinRa's PR, but instead holds himself and his men to a high standard where their service is concerned.
★ Devoted to those for whom he cares. Sephiroth would move heaven, earth and even hell itself to protect those he calls friends. Rare commodities all, they are the family he's never known and he would go to any length necessary to keep them well and safe. Sephiroth has even refused direct orders to pursue both Genesis and Angeal after their defection, passing on the mission to Zack Fair, which kicked off Zack's own adventures in Crisis Core. Currently, his bond with Zack is very close, the two more like brothers than commander and subordinate.
Weaknesses:
★ Not a socialite/socially awkward. Sephiroth does not "mingle" well, or function particularly well in any social setting. Not that he doesn't have manners; he is simply more at home in his own setting, or in a comfortable familiar environment where all is stable and the same day in day out. A creature of habit, he can become quite agitated and irritable when things change, for good or ill.
★ A bit of a control freak. Sephiroth is the greatest SOLDIER his world has ever seen. He is a General and as such, takes his responsibilities very seriously. He is accustomed to being obeyed, no questions asked. He trusts his men to trust him, as he will not ever lead them knowingly into danger or a situation he cannot control. He works on a very tight schedule, one of his own devising and expects others to respect that.
★ Arrogance. Sephiroth can be a bit of an ass at times. As stated, he is the premiere SOLDER of his world and has been accommodated to that effect. With his men, his word is quite literally law. When working either directly or indirectly with outsiders, he can ride a bit roughshod over others who might question.
Inventory:
◊ The Masamune
◊ SOLDIER uniform (if allowed)
◊ Materia bracer (with materia inserted)
Appearance: There's no mistaking him for anyone else, believe me. Although when not in uniform, he prefers nondescript clothing, dark or khaki slacks/jeans, grey/white shirts, ect. Example, example.
Age: Appears in his early thirties, but physically about 26-27
AU Clarification: None
SAMPLES
Log Sample: He was going to strangle Heidegger. With piano wire. In the middle of the President's office. Another bloody month wasted. All for a stupid anonymous tip from some idiot halfway across the world, saying Genesis clones had been spied overseas. Anxious to cover his ass, the newly promoted head of SOLDIER panicked and, instead of leaning upon Veld to send one of the generally useless Turks, he'd commanded ShinRa's Elite General to "go forth and destroy". Sephiroth had bitched, but in the end had yielded to the logic that if it was indeed clones of Genesis running about, those poor people would need help capable of destroying the damned things.
He'd found a shitlot of nothing. No trace, no record, no recollection, hell, those poor sods hadn't a clue. It was enough to make him grind his teeth and bow out politely, looking like an idiot for his serious inquiries. Indeed, the pilot who'd commandeered Sephiroth's ship back to Midgar had boosted as fast as he'd deemed safe, more than ready to get the irate General out of his transport.
But, the violence and glorious bitchfest would have to wait till tomorrow, at the earliest, because right now, Sephiroth merely wanted to get back to his own quarters and close the door on ShinRa and the rest of the damned world. He needed a shower, sleep, and a good dose of normalcy, blessed upon him by one Zack Fair, for whom Sephiroth called as soon as the door to his executive level apartment slid open, duffel hitting the floor almost nonchalantly.
Comms Sample: This will be my final data entry before departing for Nibelheim. And I must say I am ill at ease about this entire mission. To label it beyond asinine would be parallel to a succinct and silent court-martial, yet I cannot help but feel a dreadful trepidation in light of our orders.
Heidegger is an idiot. Of that, I am more than sure. The man has all the finesse of a tank, uncaring about what he destroys in effort to promote his division. SOLDIER is not his own personal breeding ground for glory. I will see him flayed alive before we degenerate to little more than pawns. Upon that promise, I lay down my word.
As such, this mission will be as brief as I can possibly manage it. I have no desire to be shepherded off to the hinterlands in the middle of winter to simply assuage superstitious nonsense. These concerns are unfounded; it is a waste of resources. But go we shall, we shall make our report and then head home; I have no intention of playing jester to a politician's sick whims.