APPLICATION: Luceti
Mun
Name Nemo
Livejournal Username: gedachtnis
E-mail: suncalledthemoon@gmail.com
AIM/MSN: Shinkou Enryu @ AIM
Current Characters at Luceti: Currently N/A
Character
Name: Aether Brandier
Gender: Male
Age: 22 physically, well past his sixties chronologically.
Wing Color: Blue.
Physical Appearance Here.
History:
The world Aether comes from is based on the idea that every story and fairy tale ever told or written, actually exists. Governed by an existence known as the Great Narrative and best described from the human standpoint as "God", these fairy tales existed in a world parallel to our own and played out their events for a very long time. The magic of fairy tales seeps into the human world as power and inspiration, allowing people to create new stories and empower the existence of our world. In return, people created ideas that spawned new fairy tales. Thus, two worlds co-existed in perfect balance, each one providing the other with magic of their own.
At least, that's how everything worked before the Absolute End of the World came along.
It still remains unknown which cruel soul spawned the book currently known as the Absolute End of the World, nor is it known what that book contains. What definitely is known is that this book destroyed the precious balance and changed the world forever. The Great Narrative disappeared in a fire, leaving behind an empty throne that governed all existence. It was at that time, that an unknown princess from a certain fairy tale took over the throne by manipulating the chaos around her and became the new "God".
Centuries went by. Governed by the new God, the world became splintered into numerous small dimensions filled with chaos, magic and conflict. Civilizations rose and burned down, never reaching the pinnacle of their potential. Thus, by propagating this self-destructive existence and encouraging equal amounts of hope and despair, the princess maintained strict control over the universe by now allowing any single world to develop enough to face her. Many gods and heroes tried, but all of them ultimately fell and retreated in order to heal their wounds.
That continued until, on a certain world known as Earth of 56th century, a small group of people from all kinds of stories gathered in order to execute the last desperate plan. A number of them retrieved the fragments of ancient weapons connected to a certain story and forged them into a single terrible weapon. Governed not by shape, but by the idea that "a hero must always have just enough strength to overcome the odds", this weapon proved capable of slaying even gods.
And then another few people built a doll; an android created from an enchanted metal skeleton and blood of a magical creature. By providing very specific ingredients, they recreated a certain knight.
It should be noted that in the world of FRAGMENTS, every fairy tale title plays a crucial role. Characters such as knights, witches and princesses or princes are all important presences in the destiny of the world. Each one is given a specific set of powers that reflects their title and allows them to leave their mark on history. Many famous heroes end up transforming as they go from one story to another, their previous identities affecting the shapes they take in others. A knight of the Round Table may have been a famous Greek hero and went on to become a general in the era of Three Kingdoms. A powerful wizard in one story might be a scientist in another. By allowing these heroes affect the passage of history, they drive the forces of progress.
As for the hero who was born from that plan to destroy God herself, a particularly somber story was chosen.
Long ago, back when King Arthur ruled over Britain and Camelot still stood, they called him Lancelot. In another era of a hundred year war between England and France, she was a compassionate girl named Jeanne. And then, there were many other fairy tales where this hero wasn't named at all; meant entirely as an existence that drives the story forward and is never allowed to reach their own happiness. Eventually, the wheel of destiny dubbed this existence the Black Knight. Powerful enough to change the course of history and yet never given a chance of happiness in life, this particular story was chosen as people's trump card in their struggle against the merciless God.
The Black Knight of that particular era was named Aether Brandier. A child soldier who started off as part of a mercenary unit and later moved on to become famous in his own right, he quickly proved himself powerful enough to inherit the duty expected from him. Although it had taken him many years, he had finally mastered his weapon and gathered a group of loyal friends who would accompany him to the battle against God.
In the confrontation that ensued, many worlds were destroyed and numerous people were killed before Aether finally reached his target and struck her down. As he cradled the dying princess who was a friend long before she became God, he and his comrades made a promise. Although their memories would surely be lost in destruction and rebirth of the world, they would surely meet again and together create a beautiful world. For most of them, that promise was hope. For Aether, it was the only chance to redeem himself for sacrificing everything.
That is the story of what happened in the past and how the current world of FRAGMENTS came to be. Now, to talk about the story that is happening now.
The stage of this story is Laplace, the last inhabited city in the world. Ever since the world ended many years ago, people have been trying their hardest to rebuild. Now, humans, faerie folk and numerous other creatures co-exist in relative harmony, a safe future more important to all of them than the differences between their species. The memories of the world before destruction are a precious commodity - few people have kept them upon arriving to the new world, with most of them firmly locked away within the Fragments.
Fragments are best described as shards of the bygone universe. They contain memories, objects and individuals that existed in the world from before the war, all of them sleeping as they wait to be brought back into the new world. A Fragment's outer shell is a magic field based on the nature of whatever it contains. As a result, an average person would observe a Fragment as a powerful monster or an item that alters its surroundings into more dangerous ones. Even if this outer defense is penetrated, one must then enter the world of the Fragment and solve a task within it before the contents can be restored to their proper form. This inner world is based partially on the contents and partially on the personal fears of the person trying to solve the task, making them exceptionally dangerous to all but highly trained individuals.
As for Laplace itself, it is a massive city broken up into multiple districts. Each district is a town of its own, with unique buildings, culture and so on. The government district in the very center of the city is responsible for dispatching law enforcers and maintaining the shield that protects Laplace from the outer world, while most districts closer to the edge are responsible for housing people and various businesses. A massive forest also exists in the north-eastern part, providing a safe haven to faeries and elves who need nature in order to survive.
Aether's story primarily takes place in the 7th District - a neo-Victorian area known for its heavily mixed population created by numerous students of various species that attend the nearby university. Although the seventh to be listed in government documents, this district is in fact one of the oldest and houses many buildings from the old world that were retrieved from local Fragments. The government has little pull in the 7th District. Because of the sheer variety of cultures housed in it, many simply don't listen to established human laws and others learn to not listen. Although a very peaceful area, it is nonetheless plagued by organized crime and magic incidents.
Aether Brandier lives on the very edge of this area, in an old shrine erected in the honor of some ancient and long-forgotten god. Living with him, are his landlords - a young alchemist and her husband - and his best friend, a young witch by the name of Saya Wielant. Aether has few memories from earlier than his arrival to Laplace three years ago. Although he had apparently fought his way out from Dead End, a ghost-infested city located outside of Laplace's magic barrier, Aether himself barely remembers the details of that time and can only rely on a few disjointed memories.
During the day, Aether goes through more jobs than one would consider healthy. Aside of part-time duties as a university librarian, he serves as the district's head courier and mailman. This puts him into enough places to find one odd job after another, creating a steady flow of income by doing a little bit of everything.
But there is another side to Aether: one that might not remember his life in Dead End, but one that keeps pieces of his memories from before the new world. He was the Black Knight once, he remembers that much. As far as the Great Narrative is concerned, he still is one. Although his memories are vague, his awareness of being responsible for the world's current condition is sharper than ever and his desire to make it better is equally powerful.
That is another reason why Aether works as a courier. As long as he can travel the 7th District, he can hear every rumor about Fragments that appear in Laplace. After donning his old armor and concealing his face, Aether travels from place to place in an effort to locate these Fragments and restore them to their proper forms. By doing so, he cannot help but go through the same punishment over and over again - for someone who had sacrificed people in order to save the world, the only way to restore Fragments is to live through scenarios where he must save people even at the cost of the world itself.
Despite the risks of such a job, Aether continues his efforts. His activities have already brought him a bit of fame as a vigilante, an urban legend and a menace for the city's underworld. Still, he continues to fight. Far as he's concerned, it is the only way to atone for what he has done.
His arrival to Luceti happens three years after he appeared in Laplace and took over his duties as a Black Knight. Seeing as his life has only recently stabilized, he isn't particularly happy about the change of environment.
Personality:
The most glaring part about Aether's personality is his unusual manner of speaking. More than a doer than a talker, he prefers to show his intentions through actions and body language. When he does speak, everything he says is thoughtful and carefully chosen. None of the words are ever wasted; from a simple explanation to a sarcastic joke, Aether means everything he says and wouldn't let anyone think otherwise. He dislikes arguments and considers them to be a waste of words; rather than have one, he prefers to make a single statement that can eliminate the reason for one. A terrible liar, he prefers to keep quiet when he needs to keep a secret. This approach to conversation, when combined with his soft voice and old-fashioned sentence structure, makes him come off as someone who would rather do something helpful than waste time on words.
Beneath his cautious demeanor, Aether is a kind and compassionate person with next to no tolerance for pain and suffering of others. He is incapable of ignoring people in pain and will try to help them even if they ask him not to. He respects power, but despises its misuse. In his eyes, every bit of power and influence you earn is a bit of freedom to make the world better. Use of power for hurting others and personal gain is the misuse of one's personal greatness and must be put to an end. This mindset makes him quick to side with whoever cannot protect themselves and more than willing to remain loyal to their cause until the end.
This trait would be perfect for an idealist, but as much as he hates to admit it, Aether isn't one. Having experienced the world at its worst many times in the past, he's content knowing that nothing in the real world will ever turn out the way it does in fairy tales. People will always suffer and sacrifices will always be made in order to keep everything in motion. Someone can fight against that, sure, and Aether does. He's impulsive in his fight, often short-tempered when it comes to things he considers important and rather cold-blooded when he's dealing with anything he considers to be a problem. But in the end, he's sharply aware that he's just one person trying to make a difference. He can make things better for one or two people, but he cannot save the world unless he chooses to not save anyone in it. It's a choice he has made once in the past and one that haunts him to this day.
He is, however, a daydreamer and a bit of a poet. When not busy with whatever he chose as his latest task, Aether likes to spend his days reading or watching the sky. He likes to see the world move around him more than anything, if only it's because it serves as a proof that everything he's done wasn't for nothing. He is protective of the smallest aspects of life and will always insist that even something like a blooming flower or a falling leaf has meaning to the maelstrom of life around him.
When all is said and done, however, Aether is a fighter. He's been through more than he ever wanted to be and he's seen a lot of what the world has to offer. And while he's still bogged down with regrets and insists on seeing his current life as a punishment for all he has done, he's finally learned that there just might be a happy ending to it all. And he's insistent on putting some effort into reaching it.
Strengths:
In order to easier understand Aether's abilities, it's worth to explain how magic works in his universe. All magic in FRAGMENTS is based on the concept of the Song of Creation, an ancient song that exists since the very beginning of the universe and resounds throughout everything in existence. The Song is divided into numerous verses, each one providing a different effect and serving as a spell. Most magical creatures are born with a subconscious memory of certain verses, while certain rare individuals are born with memories of others. By recording and studying these verses, people have learned to invoke the Song of Creation and tap into the magic of the universe. This is how wizardry came to be.
All carriers of specific roles, such as knights and witches, have their own access to specific verses. Aether is no exception. He was born as the Black Knight, a nameless wanderer who fights to protect the world without ever hoping for a place of his own. It is a rare and powerful role that is further augmented by the fact that all Black Knights are born from dragon blood and thus feed into an ancient and powerful bloodline.
As a dragon, Aether is noted for generating and storing massive amounts of pure mana--an ability further augmented by his artificial body being capable of withstanding more than a human being. Although he cannot use magic properly for reasons that will be explained in the Weaknesses section, this grants him enough energy to properly utilize his weaponry and easily interact with most magical devices.
Aether's particular bloodline is that of Ryujin, the ancient dragon god of oceans and storms from the far east. The descendants of this dragon are known for their incredible strength and agility; Aether is no exception. He is strong enough to lift almost three times his own weight and possesses enough leg strength to jump up to fifteen feet into the air. His connection to the ocean has granted him gills, allowing him to breathe underwater indefinitely, as well as altered his vocal cords to be capable of producing sound waves similar to those of a dolphin sonar. His balance and coordination are both exceptional, making him an excellent acrobat.
As a knight, Aether is trained to be of as much use on a battlefield as possible. He is well-versed in all aspects of warfare, including direct combat, creating strategies and tactical maneuvers, as well as peaceful negotiations. The era he was born in drove him to learn multiple languages and lean craftsmanship in order to better care for his weapons. Although multi-talented in that regard, Aether is hardly a perfect soldier. His interest in commanding large groups is almost zero and his refusal to sacrifice people makes it hard for him to balance the role.
Not only that, but his unique ability makes him most useful on the front lines. As the Black Knight, Aether can perceive "narrative opportunities" - battlefield positions and values of objects that make them the most useful in combat. This essentially makes him capable of making more out of less, a quality highly important for his particular title and limitations that come with it.
Last, but not least, is Aether's weapon. Commonly referred to as the Black Key or the Black Label, it is a powerful weapon that was forged by smelting remnants of numerous ancient weapons associated with the Black Knight legend. Although frequently coveted as a sword that can cut through anything, that description in itself is deceptive. The Black Label is a shapeless clump of pure magic energy that can take whatever form it needs to get the job done, starting with swords and ending with power armor.
Being an entity of pure magic, the Black Key is an excellent magic conductor that can produce various effects just by charging it with mana and releasing it during a strike. Its various forms create different opportunities for this feature: while a blade would be best charged during a strike, a firearm would sooner use that mana to shape bullets. Its armor forms, on the other hand, create a variety of special effects such as shields, enhanced speed and limited flight.
Although technically capable of assuming any form, the Black Label does have limitations that will be explained in the weaknesses section. By the time Aether arrives to Luceti, it's capable of assuming only the following forms:
a needle-like blade that produces a stream of magic energy, useless for lethal wounds and yet excellent for knocking out or paralyzing enemies; a heavy black ax used mostly for crushing objects and cutting a pass through inhospitable environments;
a heavy crossbow capable of firing magic bolts and equipped with a bayonet that can be launched as a grappling hook; a massive war scythe used exclusively for finishing blows;
two light swords based on Joyeuse and Durandal, the famous swords hailing from France;
finally, a copy of Lancelot's Arondight, a heavy sword known for its magic conductive properties.
Its armor forms are considerably more simple and used mostly for basic speed enhancements and identity concealment. While it can assume the form of a power armor capable of limited flight and creating multiple copies of weapons already associated with the Black Key, there are strict limitations on it that will be explained in the Weaknesses section.
Weaknesses:
Although Aether could potentially be an unstoppable force, there are numerous limitations to his abilities that keep him from reaching his full potential at any given time.
First of all, as a knight, he is forbidden from using magic of any kind. Although he can channel it into weapons and produce magic-based effects that way, direct spell-casting is strictly off-limits and will either simply not work or cause a painful magical backlash. Furthermore, healing effects cannot be produced by the Black Knight even when by channeling magic through weaponry.
As a Black Knight, Aether is also forbidden from lending his likeness to any cause or purpose. All photographs and video records featuring him will either come out distorted or suffer from rapid deterioration. While this ability could theoretically aid in stealth operations, it ensures that Aether cannot even take pictures with his friends. The only way for him to be remembered through records and physical objects is for him to die, a dangerous requirement when one considers the Black Knight's relationship with tragedy and betrayal.
Although Aether's weapon can assume infinite forms in theory, it relies on the user's instinctive understanding of its functions in order to do that. Every new form comes with unique functions and rules that must be understood by the wielder before the new form can be used properly. Thus, Aether needs to constantly earn experience through combat and interactions with other people in order to expand his own arsenal.
"Experience through combat" is a particularly difficult part. Due to his experiences during the war, Aether has grown weary of bloodshed and violence. He hates engaging in battle unless necessary and will often hold back in order to avoid killing his enemy, even when the enemy doesn't return the sentiment. Although he can be forced into going all out in battle, it must be a critical situation that leaves him without any other choice. Such experiences are so draining for Aether that it's not uncommon for him to hide or sleep for days after a violent skirmish of any sort.
Finally, there is an important matter of his abilities simply refusing to reach their peak in most situations. Like any other fairy tale character, the Black Knight is bound by specific rules. In his case, the rule is that "the hero must always struggle for the story to be interesting". His weapon will simply refuse to assume its more powerful forms unless faced with overwhelming odds, such as a large horde of enemies or a particularly powerful enemy. No matter what happens, Aether is always given just enough power for a chance to make it through. He is never allowed to have enough strength to simply win.
Samples
First Person:
Q&A, please.
Third Person:
This place never changed, did it?
After spending several weeks in it, Aether was convinced that there was a science to it. It wasn't merely a cycle of experiments, wartime and quiet interludes between those. People didn't seem to be interested in changing this world even during the times of peace.
This twisted and painful world where people were forced into role of soldiers and experiment subjects while struggling to not forget about their homes. It truly needed to be changed, didn't it? Because a pattern like this one had no room in a world where people could smile peacefully and not expect everything to go wrong tomorrow. Still, it was hardly a pattern he could ever change. After all, he was nothing more than a single person trapped in an unfamiliar world.
It was an unpleasant thought. Aether, who had been enjoying the view of the vast sky above him mere moments ago, sighed and shook his head as he rose to his feet. The rooftop beneath him made a soft creaking sound, as if prepared to give under his weight, but hadn't budged an inch. This spot always did that, or so he remembered. Whoever built this building, seemed to care more about sturdiness than sound. He wouldn't come back to this same spot day after day otherwise, always intent on spotting the latest formation of clouds as it floated by.
A long minute passed before he finally gathered his strength. One foot dug into the wood as he spun around in one place, then pushed lightly in order to send him into a run. He reached the edge of the roof, his steps silent as ever, and then jumped - first to the rooftop of a much smaller building nearby and then, after another short run, to the ground. His movements insisted on being relaxed and focused, driven less by frustration at his own powerlessness and more by quiet determination.
It was true... he couldn't change this whole world. And yet, there were still certain little things he could change. The only meaning behind his thoughts was that he went for far too long without doing exactly that.
With a sigh and a sharp turn, Aether made his way toward the town square. If his internal clock was right, it was already afternoon. That, in its turn, meant that it was about time for him to do something.
Name Nemo
Livejournal Username: gedachtnis
E-mail: suncalledthemoon@gmail.com
AIM/MSN: Shinkou Enryu @ AIM
Current Characters at Luceti: Currently N/A
Character
Name: Aether Brandier
Gender: Male
Age: 22 physically, well past his sixties chronologically.
Wing Color: Blue.
Physical Appearance Here.
History:
The world Aether comes from is based on the idea that every story and fairy tale ever told or written, actually exists. Governed by an existence known as the Great Narrative and best described from the human standpoint as "God", these fairy tales existed in a world parallel to our own and played out their events for a very long time. The magic of fairy tales seeps into the human world as power and inspiration, allowing people to create new stories and empower the existence of our world. In return, people created ideas that spawned new fairy tales. Thus, two worlds co-existed in perfect balance, each one providing the other with magic of their own.
At least, that's how everything worked before the Absolute End of the World came along.
It still remains unknown which cruel soul spawned the book currently known as the Absolute End of the World, nor is it known what that book contains. What definitely is known is that this book destroyed the precious balance and changed the world forever. The Great Narrative disappeared in a fire, leaving behind an empty throne that governed all existence. It was at that time, that an unknown princess from a certain fairy tale took over the throne by manipulating the chaos around her and became the new "God".
Centuries went by. Governed by the new God, the world became splintered into numerous small dimensions filled with chaos, magic and conflict. Civilizations rose and burned down, never reaching the pinnacle of their potential. Thus, by propagating this self-destructive existence and encouraging equal amounts of hope and despair, the princess maintained strict control over the universe by now allowing any single world to develop enough to face her. Many gods and heroes tried, but all of them ultimately fell and retreated in order to heal their wounds.
That continued until, on a certain world known as Earth of 56th century, a small group of people from all kinds of stories gathered in order to execute the last desperate plan. A number of them retrieved the fragments of ancient weapons connected to a certain story and forged them into a single terrible weapon. Governed not by shape, but by the idea that "a hero must always have just enough strength to overcome the odds", this weapon proved capable of slaying even gods.
And then another few people built a doll; an android created from an enchanted metal skeleton and blood of a magical creature. By providing very specific ingredients, they recreated a certain knight.
It should be noted that in the world of FRAGMENTS, every fairy tale title plays a crucial role. Characters such as knights, witches and princesses or princes are all important presences in the destiny of the world. Each one is given a specific set of powers that reflects their title and allows them to leave their mark on history. Many famous heroes end up transforming as they go from one story to another, their previous identities affecting the shapes they take in others. A knight of the Round Table may have been a famous Greek hero and went on to become a general in the era of Three Kingdoms. A powerful wizard in one story might be a scientist in another. By allowing these heroes affect the passage of history, they drive the forces of progress.
As for the hero who was born from that plan to destroy God herself, a particularly somber story was chosen.
Long ago, back when King Arthur ruled over Britain and Camelot still stood, they called him Lancelot. In another era of a hundred year war between England and France, she was a compassionate girl named Jeanne. And then, there were many other fairy tales where this hero wasn't named at all; meant entirely as an existence that drives the story forward and is never allowed to reach their own happiness. Eventually, the wheel of destiny dubbed this existence the Black Knight. Powerful enough to change the course of history and yet never given a chance of happiness in life, this particular story was chosen as people's trump card in their struggle against the merciless God.
The Black Knight of that particular era was named Aether Brandier. A child soldier who started off as part of a mercenary unit and later moved on to become famous in his own right, he quickly proved himself powerful enough to inherit the duty expected from him. Although it had taken him many years, he had finally mastered his weapon and gathered a group of loyal friends who would accompany him to the battle against God.
In the confrontation that ensued, many worlds were destroyed and numerous people were killed before Aether finally reached his target and struck her down. As he cradled the dying princess who was a friend long before she became God, he and his comrades made a promise. Although their memories would surely be lost in destruction and rebirth of the world, they would surely meet again and together create a beautiful world. For most of them, that promise was hope. For Aether, it was the only chance to redeem himself for sacrificing everything.
That is the story of what happened in the past and how the current world of FRAGMENTS came to be. Now, to talk about the story that is happening now.
The stage of this story is Laplace, the last inhabited city in the world. Ever since the world ended many years ago, people have been trying their hardest to rebuild. Now, humans, faerie folk and numerous other creatures co-exist in relative harmony, a safe future more important to all of them than the differences between their species. The memories of the world before destruction are a precious commodity - few people have kept them upon arriving to the new world, with most of them firmly locked away within the Fragments.
Fragments are best described as shards of the bygone universe. They contain memories, objects and individuals that existed in the world from before the war, all of them sleeping as they wait to be brought back into the new world. A Fragment's outer shell is a magic field based on the nature of whatever it contains. As a result, an average person would observe a Fragment as a powerful monster or an item that alters its surroundings into more dangerous ones. Even if this outer defense is penetrated, one must then enter the world of the Fragment and solve a task within it before the contents can be restored to their proper form. This inner world is based partially on the contents and partially on the personal fears of the person trying to solve the task, making them exceptionally dangerous to all but highly trained individuals.
As for Laplace itself, it is a massive city broken up into multiple districts. Each district is a town of its own, with unique buildings, culture and so on. The government district in the very center of the city is responsible for dispatching law enforcers and maintaining the shield that protects Laplace from the outer world, while most districts closer to the edge are responsible for housing people and various businesses. A massive forest also exists in the north-eastern part, providing a safe haven to faeries and elves who need nature in order to survive.
Aether's story primarily takes place in the 7th District - a neo-Victorian area known for its heavily mixed population created by numerous students of various species that attend the nearby university. Although the seventh to be listed in government documents, this district is in fact one of the oldest and houses many buildings from the old world that were retrieved from local Fragments. The government has little pull in the 7th District. Because of the sheer variety of cultures housed in it, many simply don't listen to established human laws and others learn to not listen. Although a very peaceful area, it is nonetheless plagued by organized crime and magic incidents.
Aether Brandier lives on the very edge of this area, in an old shrine erected in the honor of some ancient and long-forgotten god. Living with him, are his landlords - a young alchemist and her husband - and his best friend, a young witch by the name of Saya Wielant. Aether has few memories from earlier than his arrival to Laplace three years ago. Although he had apparently fought his way out from Dead End, a ghost-infested city located outside of Laplace's magic barrier, Aether himself barely remembers the details of that time and can only rely on a few disjointed memories.
During the day, Aether goes through more jobs than one would consider healthy. Aside of part-time duties as a university librarian, he serves as the district's head courier and mailman. This puts him into enough places to find one odd job after another, creating a steady flow of income by doing a little bit of everything.
But there is another side to Aether: one that might not remember his life in Dead End, but one that keeps pieces of his memories from before the new world. He was the Black Knight once, he remembers that much. As far as the Great Narrative is concerned, he still is one. Although his memories are vague, his awareness of being responsible for the world's current condition is sharper than ever and his desire to make it better is equally powerful.
That is another reason why Aether works as a courier. As long as he can travel the 7th District, he can hear every rumor about Fragments that appear in Laplace. After donning his old armor and concealing his face, Aether travels from place to place in an effort to locate these Fragments and restore them to their proper forms. By doing so, he cannot help but go through the same punishment over and over again - for someone who had sacrificed people in order to save the world, the only way to restore Fragments is to live through scenarios where he must save people even at the cost of the world itself.
Despite the risks of such a job, Aether continues his efforts. His activities have already brought him a bit of fame as a vigilante, an urban legend and a menace for the city's underworld. Still, he continues to fight. Far as he's concerned, it is the only way to atone for what he has done.
His arrival to Luceti happens three years after he appeared in Laplace and took over his duties as a Black Knight. Seeing as his life has only recently stabilized, he isn't particularly happy about the change of environment.
Personality:
The most glaring part about Aether's personality is his unusual manner of speaking. More than a doer than a talker, he prefers to show his intentions through actions and body language. When he does speak, everything he says is thoughtful and carefully chosen. None of the words are ever wasted; from a simple explanation to a sarcastic joke, Aether means everything he says and wouldn't let anyone think otherwise. He dislikes arguments and considers them to be a waste of words; rather than have one, he prefers to make a single statement that can eliminate the reason for one. A terrible liar, he prefers to keep quiet when he needs to keep a secret. This approach to conversation, when combined with his soft voice and old-fashioned sentence structure, makes him come off as someone who would rather do something helpful than waste time on words.
Beneath his cautious demeanor, Aether is a kind and compassionate person with next to no tolerance for pain and suffering of others. He is incapable of ignoring people in pain and will try to help them even if they ask him not to. He respects power, but despises its misuse. In his eyes, every bit of power and influence you earn is a bit of freedom to make the world better. Use of power for hurting others and personal gain is the misuse of one's personal greatness and must be put to an end. This mindset makes him quick to side with whoever cannot protect themselves and more than willing to remain loyal to their cause until the end.
This trait would be perfect for an idealist, but as much as he hates to admit it, Aether isn't one. Having experienced the world at its worst many times in the past, he's content knowing that nothing in the real world will ever turn out the way it does in fairy tales. People will always suffer and sacrifices will always be made in order to keep everything in motion. Someone can fight against that, sure, and Aether does. He's impulsive in his fight, often short-tempered when it comes to things he considers important and rather cold-blooded when he's dealing with anything he considers to be a problem. But in the end, he's sharply aware that he's just one person trying to make a difference. He can make things better for one or two people, but he cannot save the world unless he chooses to not save anyone in it. It's a choice he has made once in the past and one that haunts him to this day.
He is, however, a daydreamer and a bit of a poet. When not busy with whatever he chose as his latest task, Aether likes to spend his days reading or watching the sky. He likes to see the world move around him more than anything, if only it's because it serves as a proof that everything he's done wasn't for nothing. He is protective of the smallest aspects of life and will always insist that even something like a blooming flower or a falling leaf has meaning to the maelstrom of life around him.
When all is said and done, however, Aether is a fighter. He's been through more than he ever wanted to be and he's seen a lot of what the world has to offer. And while he's still bogged down with regrets and insists on seeing his current life as a punishment for all he has done, he's finally learned that there just might be a happy ending to it all. And he's insistent on putting some effort into reaching it.
Strengths:
In order to easier understand Aether's abilities, it's worth to explain how magic works in his universe. All magic in FRAGMENTS is based on the concept of the Song of Creation, an ancient song that exists since the very beginning of the universe and resounds throughout everything in existence. The Song is divided into numerous verses, each one providing a different effect and serving as a spell. Most magical creatures are born with a subconscious memory of certain verses, while certain rare individuals are born with memories of others. By recording and studying these verses, people have learned to invoke the Song of Creation and tap into the magic of the universe. This is how wizardry came to be.
All carriers of specific roles, such as knights and witches, have their own access to specific verses. Aether is no exception. He was born as the Black Knight, a nameless wanderer who fights to protect the world without ever hoping for a place of his own. It is a rare and powerful role that is further augmented by the fact that all Black Knights are born from dragon blood and thus feed into an ancient and powerful bloodline.
As a dragon, Aether is noted for generating and storing massive amounts of pure mana--an ability further augmented by his artificial body being capable of withstanding more than a human being. Although he cannot use magic properly for reasons that will be explained in the Weaknesses section, this grants him enough energy to properly utilize his weaponry and easily interact with most magical devices.
Aether's particular bloodline is that of Ryujin, the ancient dragon god of oceans and storms from the far east. The descendants of this dragon are known for their incredible strength and agility; Aether is no exception. He is strong enough to lift almost three times his own weight and possesses enough leg strength to jump up to fifteen feet into the air. His connection to the ocean has granted him gills, allowing him to breathe underwater indefinitely, as well as altered his vocal cords to be capable of producing sound waves similar to those of a dolphin sonar. His balance and coordination are both exceptional, making him an excellent acrobat.
As a knight, Aether is trained to be of as much use on a battlefield as possible. He is well-versed in all aspects of warfare, including direct combat, creating strategies and tactical maneuvers, as well as peaceful negotiations. The era he was born in drove him to learn multiple languages and lean craftsmanship in order to better care for his weapons. Although multi-talented in that regard, Aether is hardly a perfect soldier. His interest in commanding large groups is almost zero and his refusal to sacrifice people makes it hard for him to balance the role.
Not only that, but his unique ability makes him most useful on the front lines. As the Black Knight, Aether can perceive "narrative opportunities" - battlefield positions and values of objects that make them the most useful in combat. This essentially makes him capable of making more out of less, a quality highly important for his particular title and limitations that come with it.
Last, but not least, is Aether's weapon. Commonly referred to as the Black Key or the Black Label, it is a powerful weapon that was forged by smelting remnants of numerous ancient weapons associated with the Black Knight legend. Although frequently coveted as a sword that can cut through anything, that description in itself is deceptive. The Black Label is a shapeless clump of pure magic energy that can take whatever form it needs to get the job done, starting with swords and ending with power armor.
Being an entity of pure magic, the Black Key is an excellent magic conductor that can produce various effects just by charging it with mana and releasing it during a strike. Its various forms create different opportunities for this feature: while a blade would be best charged during a strike, a firearm would sooner use that mana to shape bullets. Its armor forms, on the other hand, create a variety of special effects such as shields, enhanced speed and limited flight.
Although technically capable of assuming any form, the Black Label does have limitations that will be explained in the weaknesses section. By the time Aether arrives to Luceti, it's capable of assuming only the following forms:
a needle-like blade that produces a stream of magic energy, useless for lethal wounds and yet excellent for knocking out or paralyzing enemies; a heavy black ax used mostly for crushing objects and cutting a pass through inhospitable environments;
a heavy crossbow capable of firing magic bolts and equipped with a bayonet that can be launched as a grappling hook; a massive war scythe used exclusively for finishing blows;
two light swords based on Joyeuse and Durandal, the famous swords hailing from France;
finally, a copy of Lancelot's Arondight, a heavy sword known for its magic conductive properties.
Its armor forms are considerably more simple and used mostly for basic speed enhancements and identity concealment. While it can assume the form of a power armor capable of limited flight and creating multiple copies of weapons already associated with the Black Key, there are strict limitations on it that will be explained in the Weaknesses section.
Weaknesses:
Although Aether could potentially be an unstoppable force, there are numerous limitations to his abilities that keep him from reaching his full potential at any given time.
First of all, as a knight, he is forbidden from using magic of any kind. Although he can channel it into weapons and produce magic-based effects that way, direct spell-casting is strictly off-limits and will either simply not work or cause a painful magical backlash. Furthermore, healing effects cannot be produced by the Black Knight even when by channeling magic through weaponry.
As a Black Knight, Aether is also forbidden from lending his likeness to any cause or purpose. All photographs and video records featuring him will either come out distorted or suffer from rapid deterioration. While this ability could theoretically aid in stealth operations, it ensures that Aether cannot even take pictures with his friends. The only way for him to be remembered through records and physical objects is for him to die, a dangerous requirement when one considers the Black Knight's relationship with tragedy and betrayal.
Although Aether's weapon can assume infinite forms in theory, it relies on the user's instinctive understanding of its functions in order to do that. Every new form comes with unique functions and rules that must be understood by the wielder before the new form can be used properly. Thus, Aether needs to constantly earn experience through combat and interactions with other people in order to expand his own arsenal.
"Experience through combat" is a particularly difficult part. Due to his experiences during the war, Aether has grown weary of bloodshed and violence. He hates engaging in battle unless necessary and will often hold back in order to avoid killing his enemy, even when the enemy doesn't return the sentiment. Although he can be forced into going all out in battle, it must be a critical situation that leaves him without any other choice. Such experiences are so draining for Aether that it's not uncommon for him to hide or sleep for days after a violent skirmish of any sort.
Finally, there is an important matter of his abilities simply refusing to reach their peak in most situations. Like any other fairy tale character, the Black Knight is bound by specific rules. In his case, the rule is that "the hero must always struggle for the story to be interesting". His weapon will simply refuse to assume its more powerful forms unless faced with overwhelming odds, such as a large horde of enemies or a particularly powerful enemy. No matter what happens, Aether is always given just enough power for a chance to make it through. He is never allowed to have enough strength to simply win.
Samples
First Person:
Q&A, please.
Third Person:
This place never changed, did it?
After spending several weeks in it, Aether was convinced that there was a science to it. It wasn't merely a cycle of experiments, wartime and quiet interludes between those. People didn't seem to be interested in changing this world even during the times of peace.
This twisted and painful world where people were forced into role of soldiers and experiment subjects while struggling to not forget about their homes. It truly needed to be changed, didn't it? Because a pattern like this one had no room in a world where people could smile peacefully and not expect everything to go wrong tomorrow. Still, it was hardly a pattern he could ever change. After all, he was nothing more than a single person trapped in an unfamiliar world.
It was an unpleasant thought. Aether, who had been enjoying the view of the vast sky above him mere moments ago, sighed and shook his head as he rose to his feet. The rooftop beneath him made a soft creaking sound, as if prepared to give under his weight, but hadn't budged an inch. This spot always did that, or so he remembered. Whoever built this building, seemed to care more about sturdiness than sound. He wouldn't come back to this same spot day after day otherwise, always intent on spotting the latest formation of clouds as it floated by.
A long minute passed before he finally gathered his strength. One foot dug into the wood as he spun around in one place, then pushed lightly in order to send him into a run. He reached the edge of the roof, his steps silent as ever, and then jumped - first to the rooftop of a much smaller building nearby and then, after another short run, to the ground. His movements insisted on being relaxed and focused, driven less by frustration at his own powerlessness and more by quiet determination.
It was true... he couldn't change this whole world. And yet, there were still certain little things he could change. The only meaning behind his thoughts was that he went for far too long without doing exactly that.
With a sigh and a sharp turn, Aether made his way toward the town square. If his internal clock was right, it was already afternoon. That, in its turn, meant that it was about time for him to do something.