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( PLAYER ★ INFORMATION )

NAME: RW
AGE: 26
CONTACT: arrdubz
CURRENT CHARACTERS & LATEST AC: Aslan (aslandish) | Activity Check

RESERVATION LINK: Reserve!

( CHARACTER ★ INFORMATION )

DOES THIS CHARACTER MEET SKELETAL BASICS? Yes!
NAME & AGE: Zack Fair, 23
CANON & CANON POINT: Final Fantasy VII Compilation; the end of Crisis Core after his battle with the ShinRa army but BEFORE he hands the Buster Sword over to Cloud.
CANON INFORMATION: Wiki

PERSONALITY:

Zack Fair is, in a word, genuine. Though in the beginning of the game, Zack appears to be a young, hot-headed SOLDIER with an arrogant streak, there's a great deal more depth to him than what meets the eye. Throughout Crisis Core, the player witnesses the transformation of a cocky, fiesty teenager into what can only be called...a hero.

Director Lazard: By the way, what is your dream? 'To become First...is it?'
Zack: No... To become a hero!
Director Lazard: Ah, good! Unattainable dreams are the best kind.
Zack: Uh, thanks?

On the surface, Zack is a chipper, upbeat fellow. There isn't much that gets under his skin, and he has a tendency to roll with things as they come, sometimes to the point of losing his focus. (When he met Aerith, for instance, he seemed to forget about the siege of Genesis copies in the city above, or at least put it from his mind.) He has a tendency to tease as well as a bright sense of humor.

In truth, however, Zack Fair is a very driven young man. Despite how young and untried he is at the beginning of the game, Zack hopes and dreams for the impossible. Having idolized Sephiroth, the SOLDIER hero, since he was a youth, Zack left home at an early age with every intention of becoming a hero himself. It's not something he takes lightly; it's something he lives and breathes, and though his focus on attaining that ideal recedes more to the background as he matures, there are ideals he does take to heart.

For example, Zack believes very strongly in right and wrong. He's the first to tell a kid in the slums it's wrong to steal and only later (a bit grudgingly) hears the story why. Though he has a bit of an arrogant streak in the beginning, this also becomes more tempered as his fledgling sense of honor is tried and tested. He's forced to fight his mentor Angeal and take his life -- an act that causes him no small amount of grief since the two were very close. At one point, it even leads him to question the path he's chosen.

"What do I have left to fight for? What is SOLDIER honor...?"

Despite this, however, Zack comes through his own doubts and re-emerges with a renewed sense of direction and purpose. He doesn't desert ShinRa but rather picks up the mantle of Angeal as his own and attempts to the make the best of a bad situation. Though he does get sad and question his own decisions ("Angeal, what should I do?") there are certain things he never wavers from. His dedication to his friends is absolute; he loves Aerith and would do anything to protect her. The same goes for Cloud after they escape Shinra Manor, as he refuses to leave him behind even though the other is suffering from a severe case of Mako addiction and unable to respond or help him. Despite the shadiness of the company he works for, Zack finds meaning in helping others and trying to do the right thing.

"Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honor...as SOLDIER!"

If there were ever words Zack Fair lived by, it's these. The ideal that carried him through the death of his mentor, the madness and betrayal of Sephiroth in Nibelheim, as well as that trying period where he was on the run with Cloud, Zack adopts this as both his sword and shield. For this reason, Zack has a quality about him that is incorruptible; however far he falls, he will find the strength within himself to get back up again, and he will put others before himself.

That isn't to say, however, that he doesn't get discouraged or upset and that he doesn't have his own set of very complex issues beneath that bright exterior. Zack Fair is emotional; he reacts to things, especially if they strike at his own issues or if he finds them offensive in some way. After Angeal's mother committed suicide, for instance, he reacted in rage and punched his teacher Angeal, thinking he was responsible. During the mission in Nibelheim, he was clearly hurt and angered by Sephiroth's actions ("Sephiroth, I trusted you!"), and though he managed to do what needed to be done despite that, the loss of people he once looked up to, idolized, and considered friends has left unseen scars. He's been betrayed, abandoned, and hurt on many different fronts, and the incident in Nibelheim was traumatizing in more ways than one. A man he considered a friend went completely insane, burned down a town, and tried to kill him, and in the aftermath of it all, he was taken as a test subject for inhuman experiments. He had to run for his life after that with the one connection he had left (his friend Cloud), and even in that, he was alone because Cloud's mako poisoning made it impossible for him to help Zack. As of his current canon point, Zack has yet to really process everything that has happened to him and the issues that go along with it (betrayal, loss, a seeming inability to save what he considers important, being yanked from his point of death, not knowing what happened to Cloud, etc). Being forced to choose a side and participate in a war he knows very little about will likely push him a bit off balance to begin with and make it difficult for him to adjust.

Still, Zack is a man defined by courage, as well as determination, in no small degree. He has a willingness to sacrifice for others, even if it means putting himself in harm's way. He's gotten his hands dirty by necessity, and though he doesn't trust as easily as he once did, his heart beats for his fellow man.

COURT ALLIANCE & REASONING:

Though Zack Fair isn't a knight in the traditional sense or know much about chivalry as a concept, the ideals of the Seelie have been taught to him in some form throughout his tenure in SOLDIER. His mentor Angeal often spoke to him at length about being a hero and what it really meant. Zack, he would say, embrace your dreams. If you want to be a hero, you have to have dreams...and honor.

These words have never left him, and it is for that reason that Zack will resonate well with the principles of the Seelie. Starting with:

DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR

Zack Fair faced down an enemy he knew he couldn't defeat and refused to run away. He walked to his death with a smile on his face not only because he refused to tarnish his own honor with cowardice, but also because he had something worth fighting for.

LOVE CONQUERS ALL

Though his care for his friend Cloud did not save his own life, Zack did succeed in ensuring Cloud a second chance. It was a sacrifice he was willing to make because Zack values the lives of others far more than his own. He went out of his way to try and save Angeal, Sephiroth, and Genesis, and even though he didn't succeed, he has never given up in trying to serve others.

BEAUTY IS LIFE

In the same way Zack believes in helping others, Zack also believes in preserving life. He will help anyone if he thinks they have a need, and likewise, he has been taught by Aerith to respect other living things. Don't step on the flowers are words he will never forget.

NEVER FORGET A DEBT

Zack Fair, above all else, is a true, loyal friend. Once you have gained his trust, he will be quick to defend and even take a bullet (multiple bullets, even) for your sake. If you help him, he will try to help you, no matter how much he has to give up in the process. However, betray his trust, and he will strike you down, even if it pains him in the process.

He is an honorable man, but he is also a SOLDIER - a man who has, and will kill if he deems it a necessity.

ABILITIES:

- Mako-enhanced human: Zack is, in layman's terms, a super soldier. The Mako infusion he was given when he became part of SOLDIER makes him stronger, faster, and more agile than the average human being. SOLDIERs can cleave through steel, create shockwaves with their blades, and easily outpace even the best Olympic athlete. His enhanced metabolism allows him to recover faster from wounds than an ordinary human would (though it is by no means fast enough to be considered regeneration). He can withstand greater amounts of punishment than a normal human, as well, but he is far from invincible. (See: his death in Crisis Core.)

POWER CAPS: Full-strength except in the presence of the monarchs.

- SOLDIER: In addition to being physically enhanced, Zack was part of an elite fighting force known as SOLDIER. He's well-versed in the ways of combat, infiltration, and war, and his expertise lies in wielding swords.

POWER CAPS: None.

- Magic: Zack has the ability to wield Materia (crystallized Mako), and this allows him to cast magic spells and to bring forth Summons (powerful creatures that occupy almost demigod-like status in FF7), as needed. I understand that, for the purposes of the game, certain spells may be leveled down in terms of their power and others may be locked away, to be returned via boons at a later date. Here's a full list:

Magic Materia
1) Firaga - Deals heavy fire-based damage. Nerfed until Zack activates his shard and achieves Level 1!
2) Blizzaga - Deals heavy ice-based damage. May also cause Stun (with permission from other players).
3) Thundaga - Deals heavy lightning-based damage.
4) Quake - Deals earth-based damage to all foes in range (10 meter radius)
5) Curaga - Restores a large amount of HP (health).
6) Wall - Halves the damage caused by physical+magical attacks.
7) Esuna - Removes negative status effects.

POWER CAPS: I am perfectly fine with any (and all) of these being returned to their basic levels (Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, etc) and having him level them back up over the same time frame outlined in the Player Guide re: learning new skills in the drabwurld! If he can't keep all of them, I would like him to at least keep Curaga and the first three listed!

Summon Materia
1) Hellfire - Ifrit brings about a world of fire, and throws it to your enemies.
2) Mega Flare - Bahamut launches a ball of energy at the enemies.
3) Exaflare - Bahamut Fury uses the moon to create a super-charged energy attack, and launches it towards the enemies.
4) Zantetsuken - Odin races towards the enemies, cutting them down with his blade, causing sudden death. This attack does not always connect, nor will it EVER cause sudden death in the game without 1) permission from players (if it is directed at a PC), or 2) mod permission to bring down NPCs in a battle setting.
5) Rebirth Flame - Phoenix rises to the heavens, and incinerates the enemies below, in a fiery blaze.

POWER CAPS: I expect all of these to either be take away or nerfed/de-powered until Zack can restore them with boons.

In terms of scale with Summons, they are very like Noble Phantasms in the Fate/etc universe(s) so they can affect a large area (as seen in Advent Children when Kadaj summoned Bahamut SIN and it attacked Midgar). Since Zack will not have access to them upon entering the game, any limits on these can be imposed if/when I get around to booning them back!

- Digital Mind Wave: The Limit Break system for Crisis Core, it is directly influenced by Zack's emotions. The more powerful his emotions, the stronger the effect of the attack, whether it be a Summon or a physical attack. Since Summons require Materia, Zack will not have access to them unless the power has been unlocked. However, he does have some physical/magical abilities tied to his Limit Break system that he will retain.

These include...

1) Chain Slash - Physical attack against one enemy.
2) Octaslash - Eight physical attacks against one enemy.
3) Rush Assault - Two sequences of seven physical attacks, then a final diving attack. Each of the three sequences has different power and can hit a different enemy (in a small group of 2 or 3 enemies). Ignores Vitality (defense), final hit inflicts Stun (with permission from other players), may grant Endure status (prevents Zack's actions from being interrupted when he is attacked by an enemy, and stops him from falling over when hit by a strong attack).
4) Air Strike - Physical attack against all enemies. Locked due to the ability itself having a more technological bent, which would not make sense in the drabwurld. He will not be able to use this.
5) Lucky Stars - Gives the critical status making all attacks Critical Hits for a period of time (5 minutes).
6) Healing Wave - Fully heals HP, MP, and AP, breaks limits, heals status ailments and grants temporary invincibility (5 minutes).
7) Meteor Shots - Magical attack against all enemies (effect translates to a 15 meter radius).
8) Apocalypse - Magical attack on all enemies (effect translates to a 20 meter radius).

POWER CAPS: If any of these abilities seem too powerful, just let me know!

- Zack also has the unique ability of being able to copy the Limit Breaks of others, which is why he uses attacks attributed to other characters in Crisis Core -- Octaslash and Rush Assault, for example, were learned from Sephiroth and Angeal, respectively. Obviously, he will not be copying anyone else's attacks without 1) express permission from other players and 2) unless it makes sense that he'd be able to learn it. Techniques and attacks that fall more in line with what he already knows (sword techniques, martial arts, etc) will be easier to learn. Any new skills he acquires will follow the timeframe outlined in the Player Guide!

INVENTORY:
- Materia (full list in Powers section)
- Buster Sword
- 1 letter + 1 note from Aerith
- First Class SOLDIER uniform

( WRITING ★ SAMPLES )

NETWORK SAMPLE:

[ The audio feed begins with the sound of a muted tapping. ]

Is this on?

[ He taps it again, and a young man with spiky, black hair appears. He's peering...much too closely at his locket, but eventually he leans back, the scar on his left cheek becoming visible. For those familiar with the area, the training grounds in Caer Glaem are behind him.

Satisfied that it's on, he smiles a bit. ]

Hi. [ Awkwardly, he scratches the back of his head. ] I'm sure it's pretty obvious to those of you who've been here a while that I'm new.

I've already gotten a few different versions of what's going on here so I think I should be good in that respect.

[ Oh Zack, you sweet summer child. Moving right alone, though, he has other things to say. ]

Since it's a war we're here to fight, I'd like to know if there's anyone around who'd like to spar sometime - hand-to-hand or with weapons.

Also, if there are any places you'd recommend visiting, I'd like to know!

[ A large black head nudges him roughly, and after a soft "hey!" Zack turns briefly to pet his horse's face. A large sword becoming visible, hanging on his back before he looks back at the locket. He flashes a small, sheepish smile. ]

Any tips on riding horses would be good, too. Thanks.

LOG SAMPLE: TDM Thread!

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