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recolle application.
PLAYER
YOUR NAME: Valya
18+?: yyy
CONTACT:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
futuristics
CHARACTERS IN GAME: n/a
RESERVATION LINK: boop
YOUR NAME: Valya
18+?: yyy
CONTACT:
CHARACTERS IN GAME: n/a
RESERVATION LINK: boop
CHARACTER: CANON SECTION
NAME: Gabranth
AGE: 36
CANON: Final Fantasy XII
NAME: Gabranth
AGE: 36
CANON: Final Fantasy XII
CANON HISTORY: wiki wiki
CANON 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.
SKILLS/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-bladed weapon, 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.
CANON 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.
SKILLS/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-bladed weapon, 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.
CHARACTER: AU SECTION
AU NAME: Noah Gabranth
AU AGE: 36
PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES: Nothing significant; still human, still blond and hazel-eyed, still physically fit.
AU NAME: Noah Gabranth
AU AGE: 36
PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES: Nothing significant; still human, still blond and hazel-eyed, still physically fit.
AU HISTORY:
AU PERSONALITY: For the most part, Noah's AU personality is much the same as in canon, though in many ways subdued. He still has his ruthless determination, but not quite so ruthless that he'd ever kill a man to get what he wants. (Killing a man in the line of duty, of course, is another story entirely.) He's still aloof and prideful, although his pride hinges less on some nebulous concept of honor and more on his nebulous concept of success in his adult life — and while one might think him very successful indeed, he still feels some regret over not going on to law school in his youth, and it's a regret he refuses to ever consciously acknowledge. Although he doesn't make friends easily — in fact, it's extremely likely that he doesn't have any, especially when considering the sometimes-underhanded methods he's used for currying favor in his workplace — the few people he does become close to, he defends with unwavering loyalty.
His problems with self-worth, i.e. his utter lack of it, are also intact and thoroughly unexamined; no matter how much he achieves, he can never let himself feel satisfied with it. The pain of his separation from his brother was not quite in the same ballpark as "hostile takeover of your entire county by an invading force," but it's still a pain that cuts deep, and while the hatred he feels towards his brother is somewhat dulled by the total lack of interaction they've had for the last twenty years, it's still a very intense feeling. Though one might think otherwise, whether by his reticence to speak of it or by his struggles to put forth the image of a perfectly stable, well-adjusted adult, he is still very much a man bound by his past, unable to let his emotional wounds heal or even attempt to move beyond them.
Noah was originally born in the UK, and lived there with his family well into his teenage years. But his parents didn't always get along, and by the time he turned sixteen, this eventually culminated in their divorce — one so nasty that he still refuses to speak of it even now, twenty years later. His family was effectively torn apart by the ordeal: he chose to move to the United States with his mother, and from there on to Recollé, while his brother stayed behind. It took quite some time for Noah to settle into his new home, and he spent the remainder of his school years at Recollé High friendless and asocial, never quite standing out for one reason or another. Still, he never once neglected his studies, and entered university with an aspiration to go on to law school. In his second year at Recollé University, Noah's mother fell gravely ill. While she ultimately survived (and to this day, he counts himself extremely fortunate that she did), her illness threw a huge wrench into the plans he had made for his life; in his mind, he needed to be able to care for her right now instead of dithering in university for however many more years it would take to earn his law degree. So he dropped out of university and took up a number of odd jobs, mostly entailing physical labor, to help support his mother while she recovered. Eventually his mother grew well enough to support herself again, and she urged him to go back to school and finish his degree. But his pride wouldn't let him — he'd already put that aspiration aside, so now he had to choose another. Ultimately he settled on police work, and he passed his academy training with flying colors. Over the years he's managed to climb the ranks of the Recollé Police Department to a detective position, mostly through pure merit, but also through his knack for saying the right things to the right people, putting himself in the right place at the right time, and interpersonal politicking in general. In truth he aspires to a position of higher authority, although he's careful to keep those aspirations to himself. To this day, he hasn't spoken a word to the brother he left behind twenty years ago, nor does he know where he is or if he's even still alive. It's not a good relationship.
AU PERSONALITY: For the most part, Noah's AU personality is much the same as in canon, though in many ways subdued. He still has his ruthless determination, but not quite so ruthless that he'd ever kill a man to get what he wants. (Killing a man in the line of duty, of course, is another story entirely.) He's still aloof and prideful, although his pride hinges less on some nebulous concept of honor and more on his nebulous concept of success in his adult life — and while one might think him very successful indeed, he still feels some regret over not going on to law school in his youth, and it's a regret he refuses to ever consciously acknowledge. Although he doesn't make friends easily — in fact, it's extremely likely that he doesn't have any, especially when considering the sometimes-underhanded methods he's used for currying favor in his workplace — the few people he does become close to, he defends with unwavering loyalty.
His problems with self-worth, i.e. his utter lack of it, are also intact and thoroughly unexamined; no matter how much he achieves, he can never let himself feel satisfied with it. The pain of his separation from his brother was not quite in the same ballpark as "hostile takeover of your entire county by an invading force," but it's still a pain that cuts deep, and while the hatred he feels towards his brother is somewhat dulled by the total lack of interaction they've had for the last twenty years, it's still a very intense feeling. Though one might think otherwise, whether by his reticence to speak of it or by his struggles to put forth the image of a perfectly stable, well-adjusted adult, he is still very much a man bound by his past, unable to let his emotional wounds heal or even attempt to move beyond them.
SAMPLE
Noah has ever been one to avoid large, loud, bustling crowds. So of course it's just his luck that he's found himself caught in the middle of the city's Founder's Day preparations.
Not that he's inclined to lift a finger to help, naturally. The twenty long years he's spent in Recollé have done little to help him feel like this is truly home to him, and so this holiday in particular has a way of making him moody. If he'd received some assignment to assist with security or some other patrol work, well, that would be another story entirely — but the only directive from his superior officers thus far has been to go home early and enjoy the day off, which leaves him feeling uncommonly adrift.
The crowds make it more of an ordeal than usual for him to make his way home — an inconvenience he's grown accustomed to, living in Tisse — and as he considers his options, he comes to acknowledge that he has nothing waiting for him at home anyway. Perhaps he could visit his mother in Viea Village... But his mood is already gloomy, and he doubts that would do much to lift her spirits. So, in the end — and not without a deep sigh as he resigns himself to it — he decides to remain in the terrace, until such a time that he's exhausted all possible sources of interest and can finally justify leaving.
He considers himself skilled at a number of things, but wasting time is not one of them. Still, as with most things in his life, he puts his best effort into it: he fights the throng of a busy café for a cup of coffee (tall, pitch black), weaves in and out of the crowds in the streets, ducking and dodging any attempts to flag him down or get him to engage with the festivities...
In the end, though, it seems as though his best effort was all for naught. Somehow his wandering has led him to Recollé Square, right in the thick of the festivities he had been hoping to avoid.
He heaves another deep sigh, taking only a moment to sip at his coffee and watch the snow swirling down from the darkening sky. He supposes he might as well make some effort to seem interested in the goings-on at the park, lest he find himself dragged into it against his will. If nothing else, if absolutely nothing else, he should do his best to keep up appearances as a loyal and enthusiastic citizen.
After several long minutes of wandering the park, lingering ever at the fringes of activity, and just as Noah finally begins to consider packing it in and going home after all, it finally happens.
"Excuse me, sir?"
Noah finds himself being approached by a young woman with a clipboard, undoubtedly some volunteer worker, official coordinator or the like. He should have expected this sooner or later, and yet that realization does little to stop the look of surprise that comes to his face. His immediate reaction is to fix his expression into something more reserved, but instead he lands somewhere in the vicinity of irritated and stern.
"What is it?"
The words, much like the look on his face, come out somewhat harsher than he'd intended, and he doesn't have to see the woman shrink back from him to know it. Speaking with the general public, as civilians generally do, isn't always a weakness of his, but when it is, it's glaringly obvious.
"Er, well— I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but, uh, we just need one extra set of hands, if... If you'd like to help..."
He looks to where she gestures and sees a trio of others laying out poles and canvas; setting up another tent, by the looks of it, one much smaller than he'd seen earlier. Noah quirks an eyebrow, and hopes that his expression has softened enough so that the woman won't flinch away when he turns to her again.
"Seems a bit late, doesn't it?" He makes an effort not to sound as brusque as before, though he's certain his accent, still rough around the edges even after all these years, doesn't help in the slightest. "Putting up more tents when the sun's nearly down, and it's only getting colder."
The woman responds with an awkward laugh; the awkwardness, he suspects, is brought on solely by his own countenance. "Well, uh, see, we had an issue earlier, with some balloons... And everything got held up, so..."
Noah clucks his tongue, sucking in a deep sigh as he looks to the scene once more. "Alright," he says, briefly lapsing into his gruff professional tone as he sets his half-emptied coffee on the ground. "No need to explain. I'll help."
"Oh!" Despite his gruffness, the woman brightens considerably at that, and the awkward air that had surrounded her evaporates in a flash. "Here, they'll show you what to do..."
He doesn't need to be told how to set up a tent, but he lets her lead him on regardless, and greets the other volunteers with as much of a smile as he can manage. Making small talk with strangers, even with a common task at hand — clearly it's a skill he needs to practice, if the woman's initial reaction to him was any indication. But for now he manages to blend in, at least for the moment, softly laughing along as they all talk about their plans for the holiday, and silently contemplating how he should spend his own time off...