Application to fellden

[colorofthesky]

PLAYER

NAME: RW
AGE: 30
PREFERRED CONTACT: arrdubz
OTHER CHARACTERS: N/A

CHARACTER

NAME: Zack Fair
AGE: 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.
RESERVATION LINK: HERE.
HISTORY: 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.

ABILITIES/SKILLS:

- 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.)

- 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 both in wielding swords and magic.

- 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, these will be nerfed for the first few weeks until his power is restored. Here is a list (just let me know if anything needs to be dropped down to it's baseline level, such as Fire for Firaga):

Magic Materia
1) Firaga - Deals heavy fire-based damage.
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.
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.

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.

NOTE: These are the summons he would ordinarily have as of his canon point, but for the purposes of the game, I expect them to be nerfed or simply not come with him.

- 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/magical attack. Here is a list of the attacks he uses:

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 Fellden. He will not be able to use this.
5) Lucky Stars - Gives the critical status making all attacks Critical Hits for a short period of time.
6) Healing Wave - Fully heals HP, MP, and AP, breaks limits, heals status ailments and grants temporary invincibility for a short period of time.
7) Meteor Shots - Magical attack against all enemies (not a whole battlefield, just a reasonable radius).
8) Apocalypse - Magical attack on all enemies (again, within a certain radius, not a whole battlefield).

NOTE: 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 a reasonable timeline, similar to what is outlined on the Magic System page.

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

FACTION CHOICE: Court of Stars

REASON: Zack Fair is, unquestionably, a dreamer. From the start of the game, it's made clear that Zack's whole reason for being, for joining SOLDIER in the first place, is his dream to become a hero. Yes, he is a powerful warrior and can make very logical, tactical decisions in the heat of battle when he needs to, but at his core, Zack is very much an emotional character who wears what he feels on his sleeve. In difficult situations, he's more likely to go with his gut and what he thinks is right rather than rely on the most rational solution. For these reasons, I think he is much better suited to the Court of Stars.

TATTOO: Taurus; on his right shoulder.

SAMPLES

NETWORK:

[ 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 device, but eventually he leans back, the scar on his left cheek becoming visible. For those familiar with the area, the training grounds 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 heard all about 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 just 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 device. He flashes a small, sheepish smile. ]

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

LOG: TDM Toplevel | TDM Thread

NOTES, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS:
I included caveats regarding the use of Summons/Materia in the Powers section (e.g. I'm fine with stuff being leveled down and him not being able to use Summons).