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Player: Psi
Contact: PsiYamaneko | PM
Age: Mesozoic
Current Characters: Lord Vholran Igniseri | Tales of Arise finisaeternam
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Character Name: Sephiroth
Character Canon: The Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Canon Point: After casting Meteor and encasing the North Crater in a barrier
Age: 30 (he's been dead and absorbing knowledge from the Lifestream for a few years so he can come across as much older)

Crime: Matricide

Background: Wiki

Personality:

THE HERO

Sephiroth was born from a genetic experiment that sought to create a being that could guide humanity to an energy-rich Promised Land. He never developed such powers but he was strong so the company Shinra raised him as the core of their PMC SOLDIER. Growing up, he was very aware that he was different from everyone else which led to him being arrogant as an adult though he never sought glory or fame. When his preternatural strength and beauty made him the face of the Wutai War he tried his best to ignore his celebrity status. He wanted to keep the public at arm's length and not interact with civilians too much. Despite this self-distancing, he was a charismatic leader in times of war and always knew the effect his presence had on people which he used both to intimidate enemies and improve the morale of his troops.

He was calm, graceful, and in control of his emotions to the point that he seemed aloof. But beneath the military pragmatism beat the heart of a romantic who felt his emotions deeply. When someone managed to get close to him he embraced them with all of his heart even if they never knew how to love him back. While he had a celebrated reputation, he was poorly socialized, often lonely, and eager to cling to what few friends he had. When two men he'd considered his only companions chose to defect from Shinra it hurt him and he started questioning himself and the company that raised him. Eventually, Sephiroth decided that if things didn't change then he would abandon Shinra. He was in this delicate state when he was deployed to Nibelheim.

He was an insatiably curious person who valued intelligence and would do anything to find answers once he got a question in his head. So when he arrived in Nibelheim and learned he was an experiment he spent a week researching files about his creation without ever stopping to sleep. Afterward, he famously lost his mind. He went on a rampage that ended when he was knocked into the bowels of a mako reactor and killed.

THE MONSTER

Sephiroth's indomitable will prevented him from diffusing into the Lifestream upon his death. Instead, his spirit lingered, absorbing knowledge from the Lifestream. He learned the truth about Jenova, the parasitic alien lifeform he'd been created from, along with many other truths about the world.

Having absorbed so much knowledge and wisdom, he now sees himself as so far beyond humans as to be entirely unknowable to them. He will manipulate and kill people and feel nothing as if he were swatting flies. His once heroic spirit has been twisted up by madness and rage making him a dark reflection of everything he used to be. The intelligence and awareness he'd once used to improve morale he now uses to unnerve others. His unearthly grace and outward calm he uses to keep enemies guessing about his intentions. One weakness he has always had was amplified by his immersion in the Lifestream, however: His arrogance. Sometimes enemies do things he doesn't expect and those single moments can turn entire battles against him.

Sephiroth can handle losing a few battles as long as he continues to exist so he can fulfill his main ambition: Fusing with the planet and becoming a god. Once he takes over, he intends to use the planet as a vessel to sail to other worlds and establish a new future. Why he wants to do this is never explained. Some think it is Jenova's memetic legacy compelling him to spread himself like a disease but it's more likely that he's adopted the creature's methods for his own reasons. He is still insatiably curious so he wants to test the limits of his power and endure forever.

As a god, he can also finally find out who he is, why he is, and where he belongs. He never felt like he belonged on the planet where he was born but after his ascension, he can search other worlds. After he absorbs the Lifestream, he will no longer be the alien outsider violating the natural order. He will be the new natural order and he will have a place where he belongs because he will be part of every living thing. Sephiroth is so lost in his own madness at this point that he isn't aware of this inner loneliness still guiding his actions. As far as he's concerned he is a god and the man he was is dead.

But that's not entirely true.

The inquisitive nature and dry, eccentric sense of humor (he once compelled Jenova to take his form and throw something at someone) is still there. He is still the same man, just irredeemably corrupted.

Abilities:

Sephiroth is a strong warrior who became a talented sorcerer after being immersed in the Lifestream which makes him an extremely formidable character. An even more in-depth breakdown can be read here.


➤SOLDIER: Sephiroth is an enhanced warrior with superhuman levels of strength, speed, and dexterity. He can wield his sword, the Masamune in either hand (though he favors his left) and with it, he can cut through solid steel faster than the human eye can see. His strength is such that he can tear down walls with his bare hands. He is also highly resilient, able to survive getting stabbed in the back with a wide-bladed buster sword.


➤GENIUS LEVEL INTELLECT: Even before he fell into the Lifestream, Sephiroth was a master tactician and manipulator. He is easily able to read people, assess situations, and form plans.


➤SORCERY: After gaining knowledge from the Lifestream Sephiroth became a powerful sorcerer. He knows how to cast spells like the Ancients did, without the use of materia. His spells cover the usual range of spells in his world: Gravity, fire, ice, lightning, poison, barriers, time alteration (more accurately adjusting speed of movement, not actual time travel), and healing. In addition to elemental magic, he can magically summon and enhance the Masamune and fire off beams of energy from the blade.

His favorite type of magic is illusions. Illusions tend to take hold of people infected with Jenova cells most easily but anyone can be subjected to them. They become more intricate the closer someone gets to Sephiroth's body. Someone on the other side of town from him might get an auditory hallucination while someone standing beside him can be walked through complex, highly detailed scenes.


➤LIMIT BREAK: When under duress Sephiroth is able to use his signature spell: Supernova. While it is infamous as the spell that demolishes entire planets it will be nerfed down to its more modern representation which is a blinding explosion of non-elemental damage around a target that might leave them confused if they survive. It might cause localized damage to a street if it fires off.


➤PSIONICS: Sephiroth is able to use psychic powers that range from reading the emotions of others to telekinetic levitation. He can hurl objects as big as buildings using only his mind and conjure storms by moving weather around. As with his illusions, his psychic powers are stronger the closer to him someone is.


➤TELEPORTATION: He can teleport himself and others. In combat this is usually used to close in on someone quickly. The ability will be adjusted to only let him teleport somewhere he's already been.


➤XENOBIOLOGY: As a creature created from the cells of Jenova, Sephiroth is physically unique. It's never confirmed that he has darkvision but given his slitted pupils and Jenova's nature, it's likely. His senses are also heightened beyond those of a human and he is resistant to poisons and diseases.

A major aspect of his strong will and alien biology is his ability to control anything with Jenova cells through a phenomenon called the Reunion instinct. Beings with stronger wills have an easier time resisting him, and some are able to do so completely. Weaker-willed beings are lost to madness. Sephiroth can plant ideas in those with Jenova cells, issue vague commands or take direct control over their bodies. He can even shape-shift some into his likeness or call their bodies towards his own to take over their cells and rejuvenate himself. The Reunion instinct allows Sephiroth to be immortal but only when there are many other Jenova hosts running around with cells to exploit. This means if he ever cheats death via the Reunion in Expiation it would be after a lot of planning and setup on his part (none of his powers make it easier for him to spread cells) and it would only work once. It's mentioned here for completion's sake and because it is a core aspect of his canon's story.

Like the other Jenova Projects, his strange biology also allows him to manifest a single black wing. He can fly with it but it only seems to work across short distances, the same as his telekinetic levitation.

Inventory:

Sephiroth will be coming into the game from Meteorfall which means he will be using a body that had previously been a work in progress encased in mako (it was that or have him come in as a shapeshifted Jenova). He will have nothing on him, not even clothing. Luckily for him, he can manifest the Masamune and his clothes with his powers and he doesn't need materia to cast spells so he can cover his needs. And himself.

Samples:
Swords!
Words!

Questions:

Would Sephiroth's minor illusions, ie ones meant for self-defense or obfuscation vs ones intended for mass panic, work on the locals?

Beyond that, if accepted Sephiroth will obviously have permissions for the psychic/illusion abilities and an opt-out. My intention is for him to be a lurking horror and more of a mental/existential threat than a physical one. So he won't be just murdering his way across the world.