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tushanshu application.
Player Information:
Name: Valya
Age: over 18
Contact:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
futuristics
Other Characters Played: n/a
Most Recent AC Link: n/a
Character Information:
Name: Noah Gabranth, formerly fon Ronsenburg.
Canon: Final Fantasy XII
Canon Point: after he's reached the Pharos, but before he confronts Ashe et al.
Age: 36 in canon; approx. 38 as of the end of his history in Eachdraidh, although his shard has kept him from aging physically.
Type of Character: CRAU
Reference: A wikia link for the entire canon, and one for Gabranth specifically. In Eachdraidh, as a member of the Seelie court, his primary motivation was to save Ivalice from total destruction, and to this end he made a number of accomplishments: he was named High Inquisitor by the Seelie High-King, and was later appointed one of five Marquises who governed the Seelie's most vital defensive stronghold. For each triumph, however, he also suffered significant setbacks, most notably the loss of his eye in battle against Unseelie opposition, as well as the realization that aiding the Seelie to victory would only result in his world and all other worlds being destroyed by the encroaching, all-consuming Void. Ultimately he recognized that the only way to stop the Void and keep Ivalice safe from harm was to ensure the victory of neither Seelie nor Unseelie, and so he participated in a cross-court gambit to reform the great Gem of Power and use it to turn back the Void once and for all. But the Gem did far more than that: it reshaped the entire world and its fate, and cast each of the shardbearers within its depths — including Gabranth — into distant worlds unknown. (For more info/details, an expanded overview of his history in Eachdraidh with linked citations can be found on this page.)
Setting Concepts: Ivalice is a setting that encompasses multiple titles both in and out of the Final Fantasy series; in the context of Final Fantasy XII, it is a world in its prime, plentiful in magic and advanced technology and populated by many diverse races and cultures, though it is also wracked by war and governed by forces beyond the ken of mankind.
Personality: There are three traits that primarily define Gabranth’s character: his ruthless determination, his priority of honor above nearly all else, and his steadfast loyalty to and pursuit of the people and things that matter most to him. Together these traits make for a well-rounded primary antagonist, but they also tell the story of a broken man who is both chained to his past and driven to regain his honor at any cost.
Throughout Final Fantasy XII, he is shown to interact with most others in a stoic, calm, sometimes aloof and often calculating manner, whether it’s reporting to the Solidors, dismissing an unruly bangaa bounty hunter, or discussing the safety of his charge with fellow Judge Magister Drace. But his true colors show when he confronts his brother Basch, or even when the subject of him comes up in conversation. The grudge Gabranth holds against him for abandoning Landis is one he’s carried for years, and the depth of his hatred shows through in nearly every interaction he has with the player party, and even beyond that. In Basch’s flashback to the night of Raminas’s murder, when Gabranth looks down at him, seeing his twin brother for the first time in many years and in the act of framing him for regicide—essentially sentencing him to death—he regards him with a smirk on his face. Atop the Pharos, he tells him “When you abandoned home and kin, your name was forever stained with blood,” and even after being defeated there, he accuses him of “leav[ing his] debts unpaid”.
He is relentless in most everything he does, but this ruthlessness and drive is particularly evident when it comes to anything concerning Basch. In Gabranth’s mind, the only thing that could absolve Basch of his sins is his death, and he will stop at nothing to deliver it to him. He says this much to Emperor Gramis himself, and it also shows in his interactions with Basch in the latter parts of the game. After his defeat at the Pharos, he still doesn’t lay down his swords until Venat violently incapacitates him; when he later encounters them on the Sky Fortress Bahamut, even though he’s still disgraced and heavily wounded from their previous encounter, he picks a fight with Basch anyway and doesn’t give up until he can no longer stand.
For all his hatred and begrudging of his brother, though, Gabranth’s resentment does not lie wholly with him. Even years after the fact, and despite all that he has accomplished in his service to Archadia, he is still wracked with guilt over joining the empire that conquered his homeland. He feels as though his honor was lost the day Landis fell, and his dignity continues to be broken down throughout the course of FFXII, after Vayne forces him to kill Drace and Dr. Cid condemns him for breaking Larsa’s trust; even though both of these instances were only partially his own doing, he blames himself for both and slips deeper into self-loathing. He believes the only way he could possibly lay claim to honor once again and atone for his own misdeeds is by somehow avenging his fallen homeland, which becomes clear when he addresses Ashe at the Pharos: in provoking her to battle, he tells her “we cannot escape the past,” and asks if her subjugated kingdom and fallen subjects do not demand revenge.
The fact that no vengeance can change the events of the past is something that Gabranth cannot bring himself to recognize, whether he’s too stubborn for it or simply unwilling to admit that all he has struggled for in his quest for honor has been for naught. When he finally is forced to come to terms with that reality, he doesn’t accept it easily; for all the shame, humiliation, and despair he has inflicted upon his brother throughout the years, all in the name of punishing him for abandoning his family and home, Basch still manages to maintain his own honor and dignity, which both vexes and enrages Gabranth. At his lowest and weakest point, he confronts Basch on the Bahamut: “You failed Landis, you failed Dalmasca—all you were to protect, yet you still hold onto your honor! How?”
Of course, Basch’s answer—that he has kept his honor by protecting the princess Ashelia, as Gabranth protects his lord Larsa—isn’t something he easily accepts either. He has spent so many years blinded by his hatred, resentment, and self-loathing that he has somehow failed to recognize what truly renders him an honorable man: his steadfast dedication to the protection and welfare of Larsa Solidor.
While he is one to double-cross others without much second thought should his orders call for it—as evident in his framing of Basch, as well as his reporting on Vayne’s doings with Dr. Cid—when he is truly loyal to someone, he is loyal to the very end. After assuming his father’s throne, Vayne uses and orders Gabranth like his own personal hound, but it’s clear that Gabranth’s true loyalties lie instead with Vayne’s younger brother Larsa, and it is that true loyalty that stirs him to battle once more. Despite his resentment of the empire, and despite the wounds and shame he’s suffered from his defeat just minutes prior, he raises his sword once more in open defiance to Vayne for the sake of protecting Larsa and the future of Archadia. In doing so, he is shown to be willing to ultimately put the lives of those he values above himself and above his own pain, no matter what the cost, and in giving his life to do so, he finally manages to prove himself an honorable man.
Appearance: In full armor, and with his helm removed. Although not presently reflected in his icons, in Eachdraidh he suffered the loss of his right eye, as well as a curse which turned the wound itself and much of the surrounding flesh into silver, and typically wears a large eyepatch to cover it.
Abilities: Of Gabranth's abilities, his most notable would be his prowess with battle and swordsmanship. The position of judge is inherently military in Archadian government, and so his ascension to the rank of Judge Magister was propelled by more than mere politicking. Nevertheless, his skill with the ins and outs of Archadian politics is not one to be considered lightly. Despite the disadvantages and discrimination he undoubtedly faced as a foreign Landisian in Archadian society, the fact that he was able to attain the lofty office of Judge Magister at such a relatively young age is a testament to such skill. Beyond that, his position as head of the Archadian military's Ninth Bureau, charged with all matters concerning intelligence and espionage, indicates that he is well-versed in the art of gathering information through any means necessary, particularly means that are underhanded and at times brutal, and dealing with it however he must. To this end, he is shown acting as a double agent on at least one occasion, as he secretly investigates Vayne Solidor's affairs by the emperor's will.
Returning to his physical ability, his favored weapon — a pair of large swords that can be joined at the pommel into a double-headed lance, both signature of and unique to each of the Judge Magisters — is further evidence of his martial prowess, as its apparent unwieldiness attests to his skill. He has only a very basic proficiency in Ivalician magicks, and this basic proficiency consists solely of protective buffs, such as the aptly-named Protect and Shell. However, he does have command over a variety of technicks (special skills, usually combat-oriented, that are unrelated to the use of magicks), which may also provide him with similar protective buffs, or may help him gather Mist to power certain attacks.
Inventory: He will have his armor, which in Eachdraidh was imbued with additional protective strength against both physical and magical attacks, and his weapons, a pair of swords — Chaos Blade and Highway Star — which join together like so. He also has in his possession a magic ring which gave him the ability to teleport anywhere he'd previously visited in the Drabwurld, albeit only during daylight hours, and the locket which once served as his primary communication device...both of which are probably incredibly useless to him now but hey, he has them.
Soul Gem: A simple, relatively unadorned garnet ring.
Writing Samples:
Third Person: test drive thread!
Network:
Additional Information - CRAU Characters:
Game Origin: Eachdraidh, a medieval fantasy setting where characters were summoned to Allaidh Darach, or the Drabwurld, to fight a war for one of two fae courts: the order- and justice-driven Seelie, or the chaotic Unseelie. These summoned characters were known as shardbearers for the powerful magical shards, remnants of the Uaine Cridhe, that were embedded within them and bound to their own worlds through Allaidh Darach. (The setting and premise of this game underwent some significant changes towards the end of its run, but for various reasons I've chosen to end Gabranth's in-game development just prior to those changes going into effect.)
CRAU Changes: The most obvious, outwardly apparent change Gabranth has undergone would be the loss of his eye, and this physical change is but one of the hardships he's endured over the two years he's spent in the Drabwurld. While still in Ivalice his primary objective had been to put a stop to Ashe and her companions, with the goal of finally gaining vengeance over his brother ever lurking in the back of his mind, but his arrival in the Drabwurld put both of these notions into stark perspective; with the knowledge that all of Ivalice was in imminent danger, after all, how could he allow himself to work toward anything but its preservation? It was this motivation that drove him toward his accomplishments in the Seelie court — namely, his stations as High Inquisitor and Marquis of the White Citadel — but it was also this motivation that led him to utterly crash and burn whenever he met with failure, such as his loss against the Unseelie and their Dullahan hordes. Gabranth has never been a stranger to failure, at least not in his own mind, but when faced with the destruction of his entire world as the consequence of his defeat, he took it particularly hard. Although he ultimately managed to pull himself back up from his self-perceived failures, he is nevertheless weathered from the experience, and more determined than ever to keep himself from tasting defeat yet again. He's sacrificed a great deal to survive this long and come this far, and though he doesn't know whether he'll ever truly see Ivalice again, he will not stop fighting to protect it.
Name: Valya
Age: over 18
Contact:
Other Characters Played: n/a
Most Recent AC Link: n/a
Character Information:
Name: Noah Gabranth, formerly fon Ronsenburg.
Canon: Final Fantasy XII
Canon Point: after he's reached the Pharos, but before he confronts Ashe et al.
Age: 36 in canon; approx. 38 as of the end of his history in Eachdraidh, although his shard has kept him from aging physically.
Type of Character: CRAU
Reference: A wikia link for the entire canon, and one for Gabranth specifically. In Eachdraidh, as a member of the Seelie court, his primary motivation was to save Ivalice from total destruction, and to this end he made a number of accomplishments: he was named High Inquisitor by the Seelie High-King, and was later appointed one of five Marquises who governed the Seelie's most vital defensive stronghold. For each triumph, however, he also suffered significant setbacks, most notably the loss of his eye in battle against Unseelie opposition, as well as the realization that aiding the Seelie to victory would only result in his world and all other worlds being destroyed by the encroaching, all-consuming Void. Ultimately he recognized that the only way to stop the Void and keep Ivalice safe from harm was to ensure the victory of neither Seelie nor Unseelie, and so he participated in a cross-court gambit to reform the great Gem of Power and use it to turn back the Void once and for all. But the Gem did far more than that: it reshaped the entire world and its fate, and cast each of the shardbearers within its depths — including Gabranth — into distant worlds unknown. (For more info/details, an expanded overview of his history in Eachdraidh with linked citations can be found on this page.)
Setting Concepts: Ivalice is a setting that encompasses multiple titles both in and out of the Final Fantasy series; in the context of Final Fantasy XII, it is a world in its prime, plentiful in magic and advanced technology and populated by many diverse races and cultures, though it is also wracked by war and governed by forces beyond the ken of mankind.
- Humes are by far the most populous race in Ivalice, controlling all the major political entities of the region, and differ from humans of any other world by name alone. Other races which appear as major players in Final Fantasy XII include the sylvan viera, a secretive, secluded people with rabbit-like features and heightened sensitivity to Mist, and the bangaa, a lizard-like race that often lives and works freely among hume society.
- Mist is the naturally-occurring force from which all magicks in Ivalice are derived. While normally invisible, it can be observed by the naked eye when gathered in high concentrations, and can appear as a thick reflective fog in its "cooled" state, or as a burning orange light in its "active" state. Mist can be gathered directly to power one's magicks, but it can also be collected and harvested in the form of magicite, stones which provide much of the energy found throughout Ivalice, whether in lighting one's home or powering an entire airship. However, as with any other force of nature, Mist can also be dangerous; high densities of Mist can affect the land in unpredictable ways, bringing about sudden changes in climate and transforming the wildlife into monstrous beasts, and may turn entire swathes of land into Jagd, where the Mist runs so thick that airships cannot function within their reaches.
- The Archadian Empire spans the northern continent of Valendia, having in recent years subjugated the smaller kingdoms of Nabradia and Dalmasca to the south. Dalmasca is the main point of contention in the overall plot of Final Fantasy XII, as half of the main party originally hails from there, one of them being the deposed princess Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca who fights to secure her country's freedom from Archadia's rule. However, Archadia's history of conquest did not begin with those two kingdoms; many years earlier, Archadia invaded the now non-existent nation of Landis, homeland of Basch and Noah fon Ronsenburg. In the present day, Archadia stands ready for war against not only a large-scale Resistance effort sponsored by the independent city-state of Bhujerba, but also against the vast Rozarrian Empire that lies west of Dalmasca.
- Archadia itself is ostensibly a republic, given that its governance is divided between an elected Senate and the emperor himself, but under the rule of House Solidor — presently comprised of Emperor Gramis Gana Solidor and his sons, Vayne Carudas Solidor and Larsa Ferrinas Solidor — the military exerts a considerable amount of power in its politics. Judges are a particular class of highly-skilled warriors who command legal authority in their given jurisdictions, and of these warriors, the Judges Magister are an especially elite few; they serve as the personal guard of House Solidor, among other duties of high import, and their rank gives them effective command over the entire Archadian army. Five Judges Magister are seen in Final Fantasy XII, including Gabranth, with one other mentioned as mysteriously disappearing some years prior.
- Nethicite is the main plot macguffin of FFXII, as the pursuit of it drives much of the story's events; unlike magicite, which releases Mist in a controlled manner, nethicite absorbs Mist in an uncontrolled manner, and once it's absorbed as much as it can, it explodes in a particularly devastating fashion. Deifacted nethicite is especially dangerous, so named for the fact that it was granted to humekind by the godlike Occuria, and is responsible for the total destruction of Nabudis, once the capital of Nabradia, now a Mist-drenched wasteland. Manufacted nethicite is a recent invention by Archadia's top scientist, Dr. Cidolfus Demen Bunansa, aided by the rogue Occurian Venat, and with its power, Archadia stands poised to conquer all of Ivalice.
Personality: There are three traits that primarily define Gabranth’s character: his ruthless determination, his priority of honor above nearly all else, and his steadfast loyalty to and pursuit of the people and things that matter most to him. Together these traits make for a well-rounded primary antagonist, but they also tell the story of a broken man who is both chained to his past and driven to regain his honor at any cost.
Throughout Final Fantasy XII, he is shown to interact with most others in a stoic, calm, sometimes aloof and often calculating manner, whether it’s reporting to the Solidors, dismissing an unruly bangaa bounty hunter, or discussing the safety of his charge with fellow Judge Magister Drace. But his true colors show when he confronts his brother Basch, or even when the subject of him comes up in conversation. The grudge Gabranth holds against him for abandoning Landis is one he’s carried for years, and the depth of his hatred shows through in nearly every interaction he has with the player party, and even beyond that. In Basch’s flashback to the night of Raminas’s murder, when Gabranth looks down at him, seeing his twin brother for the first time in many years and in the act of framing him for regicide—essentially sentencing him to death—he regards him with a smirk on his face. Atop the Pharos, he tells him “When you abandoned home and kin, your name was forever stained with blood,” and even after being defeated there, he accuses him of “leav[ing his] debts unpaid”.
He is relentless in most everything he does, but this ruthlessness and drive is particularly evident when it comes to anything concerning Basch. In Gabranth’s mind, the only thing that could absolve Basch of his sins is his death, and he will stop at nothing to deliver it to him. He says this much to Emperor Gramis himself, and it also shows in his interactions with Basch in the latter parts of the game. After his defeat at the Pharos, he still doesn’t lay down his swords until Venat violently incapacitates him; when he later encounters them on the Sky Fortress Bahamut, even though he’s still disgraced and heavily wounded from their previous encounter, he picks a fight with Basch anyway and doesn’t give up until he can no longer stand.
For all his hatred and begrudging of his brother, though, Gabranth’s resentment does not lie wholly with him. Even years after the fact, and despite all that he has accomplished in his service to Archadia, he is still wracked with guilt over joining the empire that conquered his homeland. He feels as though his honor was lost the day Landis fell, and his dignity continues to be broken down throughout the course of FFXII, after Vayne forces him to kill Drace and Dr. Cid condemns him for breaking Larsa’s trust; even though both of these instances were only partially his own doing, he blames himself for both and slips deeper into self-loathing. He believes the only way he could possibly lay claim to honor once again and atone for his own misdeeds is by somehow avenging his fallen homeland, which becomes clear when he addresses Ashe at the Pharos: in provoking her to battle, he tells her “we cannot escape the past,” and asks if her subjugated kingdom and fallen subjects do not demand revenge.
The fact that no vengeance can change the events of the past is something that Gabranth cannot bring himself to recognize, whether he’s too stubborn for it or simply unwilling to admit that all he has struggled for in his quest for honor has been for naught. When he finally is forced to come to terms with that reality, he doesn’t accept it easily; for all the shame, humiliation, and despair he has inflicted upon his brother throughout the years, all in the name of punishing him for abandoning his family and home, Basch still manages to maintain his own honor and dignity, which both vexes and enrages Gabranth. At his lowest and weakest point, he confronts Basch on the Bahamut: “You failed Landis, you failed Dalmasca—all you were to protect, yet you still hold onto your honor! How?”
Of course, Basch’s answer—that he has kept his honor by protecting the princess Ashelia, as Gabranth protects his lord Larsa—isn’t something he easily accepts either. He has spent so many years blinded by his hatred, resentment, and self-loathing that he has somehow failed to recognize what truly renders him an honorable man: his steadfast dedication to the protection and welfare of Larsa Solidor.
While he is one to double-cross others without much second thought should his orders call for it—as evident in his framing of Basch, as well as his reporting on Vayne’s doings with Dr. Cid—when he is truly loyal to someone, he is loyal to the very end. After assuming his father’s throne, Vayne uses and orders Gabranth like his own personal hound, but it’s clear that Gabranth’s true loyalties lie instead with Vayne’s younger brother Larsa, and it is that true loyalty that stirs him to battle once more. Despite his resentment of the empire, and despite the wounds and shame he’s suffered from his defeat just minutes prior, he raises his sword once more in open defiance to Vayne for the sake of protecting Larsa and the future of Archadia. In doing so, he is shown to be willing to ultimately put the lives of those he values above himself and above his own pain, no matter what the cost, and in giving his life to do so, he finally manages to prove himself an honorable man.
Appearance: In full armor, and with his helm removed. Although not presently reflected in his icons, in Eachdraidh he suffered the loss of his right eye, as well as a curse which turned the wound itself and much of the surrounding flesh into silver, and typically wears a large eyepatch to cover it.
Abilities: Of Gabranth's abilities, his most notable would be his prowess with battle and swordsmanship. The position of judge is inherently military in Archadian government, and so his ascension to the rank of Judge Magister was propelled by more than mere politicking. Nevertheless, his skill with the ins and outs of Archadian politics is not one to be considered lightly. Despite the disadvantages and discrimination he undoubtedly faced as a foreign Landisian in Archadian society, the fact that he was able to attain the lofty office of Judge Magister at such a relatively young age is a testament to such skill. Beyond that, his position as head of the Archadian military's Ninth Bureau, charged with all matters concerning intelligence and espionage, indicates that he is well-versed in the art of gathering information through any means necessary, particularly means that are underhanded and at times brutal, and dealing with it however he must. To this end, he is shown acting as a double agent on at least one occasion, as he secretly investigates Vayne Solidor's affairs by the emperor's will.
Returning to his physical ability, his favored weapon — a pair of large swords that can be joined at the pommel into a double-headed lance, both signature of and unique to each of the Judge Magisters — is further evidence of his martial prowess, as its apparent unwieldiness attests to his skill. He has only a very basic proficiency in Ivalician magicks, and this basic proficiency consists solely of protective buffs, such as the aptly-named Protect and Shell. However, he does have command over a variety of technicks (special skills, usually combat-oriented, that are unrelated to the use of magicks), which may also provide him with similar protective buffs, or may help him gather Mist to power certain attacks.
Inventory: He will have his armor, which in Eachdraidh was imbued with additional protective strength against both physical and magical attacks, and his weapons, a pair of swords — Chaos Blade and Highway Star — which join together like so. He also has in his possession a magic ring which gave him the ability to teleport anywhere he'd previously visited in the Drabwurld, albeit only during daylight hours, and the locket which once served as his primary communication device...both of which are probably incredibly useless to him now but hey, he has them.
Soul Gem: A simple, relatively unadorned garnet ring.
Writing Samples:
Third Person: test drive thread!
Network:
Should any one of you reading this now claim familiarity with the names Allaidh Darach, Glaschu, or the Cathraon, and all that these names entail, I would speak with you at once. Discretion would be vastly preferred.
[ Gabranth hardly expects to find anyone else from the Drabwurld here — rather, he would have expected them to find him first — but it's worth a shot. Perhaps someone else might have a better idea of just what the hell happened to land him here.
He's markedly less interested in calling out any names from Ivalice, for the sake of anyone who might know him from his deeds in that world alone. ]
Leaving that aside, I would know which methods of earning 'juulan' are most expedient for one newly arrived. Aside from my various skills I have little of worth to sell, and so I would rather avoid that particular route.
I thank you for your time and assistance.
Additional Information - CRAU Characters:
Game Origin: Eachdraidh, a medieval fantasy setting where characters were summoned to Allaidh Darach, or the Drabwurld, to fight a war for one of two fae courts: the order- and justice-driven Seelie, or the chaotic Unseelie. These summoned characters were known as shardbearers for the powerful magical shards, remnants of the Uaine Cridhe, that were embedded within them and bound to their own worlds through Allaidh Darach. (The setting and premise of this game underwent some significant changes towards the end of its run, but for various reasons I've chosen to end Gabranth's in-game development just prior to those changes going into effect.)
CRAU Changes: The most obvious, outwardly apparent change Gabranth has undergone would be the loss of his eye, and this physical change is but one of the hardships he's endured over the two years he's spent in the Drabwurld. While still in Ivalice his primary objective had been to put a stop to Ashe and her companions, with the goal of finally gaining vengeance over his brother ever lurking in the back of his mind, but his arrival in the Drabwurld put both of these notions into stark perspective; with the knowledge that all of Ivalice was in imminent danger, after all, how could he allow himself to work toward anything but its preservation? It was this motivation that drove him toward his accomplishments in the Seelie court — namely, his stations as High Inquisitor and Marquis of the White Citadel — but it was also this motivation that led him to utterly crash and burn whenever he met with failure, such as his loss against the Unseelie and their Dullahan hordes. Gabranth has never been a stranger to failure, at least not in his own mind, but when faced with the destruction of his entire world as the consequence of his defeat, he took it particularly hard. Although he ultimately managed to pull himself back up from his self-perceived failures, he is nevertheless weathered from the experience, and more determined than ever to keep himself from tasting defeat yet again. He's sacrificed a great deal to survive this long and come this far, and though he doesn't know whether he'll ever truly see Ivalice again, he will not stop fighting to protect it.