Gosh, this hurts. Poor Sazh, fate just has it out for him.
Though wow, Nora and Sazh being buddies here is a really cool idea! Of course they would, too, especially with these circumstances.
Fractured Fantasy: A CK2 Style Final Fantasy quest
- Thread starter griffinlw
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy Action
Though wow, Nora and Sazh being buddies here is a really cool idea! Of course they would, too, especially with these circumstances.
It's almost like she had the potential to be a deep and interesting character who could have been developed in a variety of interesting ways and instead they axed her off within the first couple hours because everyone decided Hope deserves major character privileges instead of her.
Anyway, good work. I like this bittersweet interaction between two parents who are doing there best in what is, let's be honest, one of the worst situations imaginable. Also thank you for DMing me about Sazh.
I believe the proposed reward was information about the Cocoon L'Cie, so you will get that information. But I'm going to have to ask you to please be patient with me, I'd like to finish the Dalmasca half of Turn 8 first.
Turn 8- Results
New
Explore the Garamsythe Waterway (Freya)
D100= 58+ 32= 90DC: 50
Success!
The Waterway wasn't so bad now that you had conquered its inner depths. Most monsters scattered before you, and the rest fell easily to your spear.
You had ample time to look around and a hand-drawn map to keep track of your findings. What you found was pretty interesting…
The Waterway had sluice gates that opened and closed depending on the water level and could be manually changed using levers near the center. So you did a little experimenting and found some new passages.
Most of the time, the sluice gates would only open or close additional chambers in the Waterway. You found a little treasure in those chambers but nothing useful, just scrap to sell. One chamber had a little surprise for you…
A crocodile corpse.
It wasn't like the gators that lived in Giza Plains during the wet season or the one you and Aerith hunted, it had shaggy dark fur and was quite a bit smaller, though still quite fearsome looking. But what concerned you wasn't the corpse, it was the injury on the corpse.
An asterisk-shaped wound that exuded a foul, venomous stench. The body wasn't eaten, simply decaying. Whatever killed it wasn't fighting for food. Territory perhaps? Or dominance? Perhaps this was the handiwork of the monster that stalked the waterway…
You had no desire to hunt it alone, therefore you pressed on.
At one point you opened up the way to the Barheim passage again, and decided to explore a bit in there too. The exit leading to the fortress was blocked, primarily because the fortress it was linked to no longer existed. You found another exit though, one that deposited you in the Dalmasca Eastersands.
It wasn't super useful to you, but it would be useful to say… someone trying to sneak in and out of Rabanastre, like smugglers, or thieves. And you did find the broken shaft of an arrow...
Running out of combinations, you returned to the sluice controls and tried one last time to open a new path, and you got lucky.
You found the rumored secret passageway to the palace, and that's not all. You found spent bullet casings. This must have been the path the thieves used. You were sure of it.
[Found 1 Fund worth of treasure]
[Found secret passageway to the Palace]
[Found secret passageway out of Dalmasca]
[Found evidence of Thief's presence. Lowers DC for hunting the thief by 20]
[Found traces of the Waterway Monster. Lowers DC to Identify by 20]
[Garamsythe Waterway has been completely explored!]
Acquire Setzer's Services (Freya)
"Am I really doing this?" You look at the docked Airship and can't help but frown internally. The Blackjack, a floating representation of recklessness and gambling. Manned by a professional gambler, who seemed to take pride in swindling gullible people out of their money.You weren't exactly a stranger to gambling or card games, it was common enough among soldiers to pass the time even if it wasn't your favorite activity. The problem wasn't the swindling either, you were friends with Zidane after all.
At the heart of it all, the problem is that you just didn't understand this man. You honed your skill in hunting and fighting for years to get where you were, a respected dragon knight. It wasn't wrong to say it was a part of your identity now, something you would carry with you forever.
This man did the same thing with… gambling. Games of chance, cards, dice, risks, losses, and gains at the whims of lady luck.
Was this really the kind of man you wanted to try to extract favors from? Could you even trust him to do the jobs you request of him?
Then again, he did have an Airship…
Shaking your head, you enter the Blackjack. Luckily, it's rather devoid of people today. There are a handful of people at the roulette tables, but most of the card tables seem empty.
You found the man himself overseeing a game at the blackjack table, but he wasn't participating himself. "Setzer, my name is Freya. I have come to acquire your services."
"Weird way of saying you're here to hire me." Setzer mused. "Are you paying with gil or?-"
"I'm willing to play."
That made him perk up, the scar-faced man breaking into a broad smile. "Well now, that's more interesting. Let's see. What rules shall we set for our wager…" He ambled over to the chip counter.
"How about this? 15 chips between us, 30 total. Every 10 chips is a favor, some job or duty that must be performed. So if at the end of the game, you have 20 and I have 10, I owe you two favors, you owe me one. Sound good?"
"It does, but if it's all the same to you, I'd rather cut to the chase. One game." You insist firmly
"One game? Alright, I know just the game then…"
Poker. A card game you had never played before, but the rules were simple enough.
You traded a few chips and a few hands, feeling each other out with some low-stakes play as you got ready for the decisive game. Setzer kept trying to psyche you out, shifting his cards and smirking at you. You just tried to stay calm and keep to yourself, it was something you were good at. But soon enough the decisive hand came forward.
"All in," Setzer announces, pushing forward all his chips. He smirked at you, "So, call or fold?"
You push your chips forward. "Call."
"Interesting, very interesting…" Setzer's grin somehow split even wider. "Well, let's see what we've got here," Setzer revealed his cards, three 6s, and a pair of kings. "Full House. What about yours?"
You showed him yours. Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10, all spades. Setzer's eyes widened in surprise before he barked out a laugh. "A Royal Flush! Well, it would seem Lady Luck is trying to tell me something. Ah well, some favors aren't so bad. What did you have in mind?"
D100= 70+ 8 + 10 (Clear headed)+ 3 (QP spent)= 91 vs 5 (Instant Crit Fail due to "Lady Luck" Trait)
Critical Success!
Critical Success!
[Setzer owes you 3 favors. Once these are spent, he will leave your employ. Unless you can convince him to stay…]
Get Setzer To Take The Cocoon Refugees Home (Alfyn)
DC: 70/50
Auto Pass!
"You'll be able to take us to Cocoon?" Half the crowd seemed ready to cry in relief, the rest seemed beaten down and tired, like they were worried this hope would be pulled away from them.
"I won't be able to take everyone on a single trip," Setzer warned. "With a group this size it'll take… 3. Maybe 4 if we want to leave a little extra room. But don't worry, the Blackjack is a fast bird, she can handle the trip with no problem."
At that point, some of them did start crying in relief.
"But let's not forget the man of the hour!" Setzer shoved you forward. Immediately you were swarmed by thankful refugees.
"Thank you, mister!" A little girl in a pink dress thanked you.
"Thank you, thank you so much!" A nervous-looking man in a suit shook your hand vigorously.
"You're such a kind man…"
"Shucks, I'm just trying to do the right thing." If anything, your attempt to play it down seemed to invigorate the crowd. Marcette pushed her way to the front to give you a hug and thank you for everything.
Setzer chuckled. "Maybe losing wasn't such a bad thing. Your little band seem… interesting."
"Is that a good thing?"
"It is to me. Well, I'll get this squared away and probably be back in a few weeks. I'll have to dodge through the war, but this isn't the first time I've run a blockade." Setzer smirked.
"Wait, didn't you say each trip would only take a day or two?" You asked.
"Oh well, I'll need a week to get the job done, and then I plan on hitting up Yusnaan. 'The City of Revelry' sounds like my kinda place…"
[One of Setzer's favors has been spent. 2 remain]
[The refugees are eternally grateful]
Uphold Your Deal (Alfyn)
Auto PassMass production wasn't something you ever really bothered yourself with. Most of the time, you were curing one person at a time, half a dozen doses.
Stocking a Hunter Clan was an entirely different ordeal.
It wasn't like they were out of medicine or nothing, so they sent you a "small" order.
40 potions, 20 antidotes, 20 echo herbs, and 20 smelling salts, or medicine with an equivalent effect. A mere 100 items.
You nearly passed out when you read the order.
Still, a deal was a deal, so you got to work. The ingredients for the first half mostly came out of Aerith's garden, but after that you had to start getting ingredients from outside.
Maybe you could have done it only using ingredients from the garden, but you didn't want to pick it clean while Aerith was gone. She could get it up and running in no time, but without her here to work her magic…
Better to play it safe.
Thankfully, Clan Centurio was nice enough to assist you in gathering the remaining ingredients. You were a little embarrassed about getting their help on an order which was for them, but Montblanc assured you it was all fine.
By the end of the month, you had completed the order. And your wrist was so sore! But it was worth it.
Still, you really hope you won't have to do it on your own next time.
[Gain 1 Fund as passive income for the next 4 turns. Stock will run out on Turn 12]
What Can You Make? (Alfyn)
D100= 58+ 20+ 20 (Master of Herb Lore)+ 10 (Omake Bonus) = 108DC: 40/70/100
Total Success!
"Honestly, I'm just even more impressed by what nature can do now. I mainly use them for medicine, I had no idea there were so many uses for them!" You explain to Freya, who looked mildly interested. "Sorry, I'm just, excited."
"Don't apologize. Show me."
That brought a smile to your face. "I basically made 3 different things, Incense, Perfume, and Tea leaves. None of it is as good as a professional could make yet, but I'm still learning. First thing, incense."
You present a small wooden stick and stand it up in a cup, before lighting the very tip with a striker. Rather than smelling like smoke, the smoke smelled like lavender.
"For these, I basically have to grind up the plant until it's a fine dust, then use natural oil to turn it into a doughy mix. I roll the stick through that mix until there's a fine coat, and there we go."
"... It does seem nice. Do you think you could do this with cherry blossoms?"
"Probably. I don't think I've seen that plant before though."
"It's popular in Cleyra, my favorite flower," Freya explained.
"I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, that's incense, next is perfume." You take out a very small bottle of liquid. "It's probably not all that strong yet, you're supposed to age it for months but… I got impatient." You admit sheepishly.
Compared to the incense the perfume is indeed weaker, but you can still smell it. "This is a blend including about half a dozen flowers. There are lots of different methods to get the scent, I ran through a few here. Soaking the leaves in oil, or steaming them in a still, I was lucky and a few I could just mash to get the juice and oil out."
"It's not bad, but I think I prefer the incense. I'm not keen on the idea of slathering perfume on myself."
"I'm not really opposed to the idea but, yeah. Not a super big fan either. The final thing, tea leaves." You turn to the wood-burning stove and check that the teapot has boiled. Once you confirm that it has, you pour a cup of tea for Freya, and one for yourself.
"You basically have to dry it, mix it, dry it, beat it up a little, and then dry it again. Once you've got these concentrated little dry leaves, then you know you've got good tea leaves."
Freya gently blew on the cup before bringing it to her lips. She hummed lightly as she lowered the cup. "It's good."
"Glad it's got your seal of approval." You set everything back down on the table, but you couldn't help but feel a little… uncertain. You never really planned on getting into business, half the time you didn't even charge people for your services.
[Reduce DC of "sell" actions by 30 points.]
[Potential products expanded to include incense, perfume, and tea blends]
Universal Herbology Catalog (Alfyn)
D100= 57+ 20 (Master of Herb Lore)= 77-Follow up to: The Apothecary and the Merchant-
"Sorry, it took me so long to come back and help you finish up. I got busy with… a lot of things." You confessed sheepishly.
"That doesn't bother me none, you gotta do what you gotta do. Still, I'm glad to have you along friend. We should be finishing up soon, but I'd love it if you helped give it a once over." Partitio flashed his signature smile, and darn if it didn't make you feel giddy all over again.
The Universal Herbalism Guide was a hell of a project, worthy of the library in Atlasdam you'd reckon, and you were honored to be along for the ride. It was fascinating to read through the rough draft and make your own additions.
However, you also had a bit of an ulterior motive. A question you wanted to ask. "Hey Partitio? Do you mind if I pick your brain about something?"
"Long as I get it back later."
"A friend and I are thinking of going into business together. I don't really dislike the idea and I trust them but… well. I never really wanted to go into business."
"I met a real bad apothecary once, she was using faulty medicine that would cure the initial symptoms, and then cause more down the line. It wasn't malice just… greed. Wanted more work, and wanted more coin. She ended up getting sent to the gaol…"
"I guess I'm worried about losing sight of Dohter's succor. I hadn't ever planned on selling my services at all."
Rather than respond immediately, Partitio silently chewed on the story, his normal grin having slipped away. "I understand what you mean. There are people who have forgotten the difference in worth between a life and a dollar. I can't stand people who have billions, but can't bring themselves to pay their workers an extra leaf, or won't lower the price even when people are starving."
He put a hand on your shoulder and smiled, "But Alfyn, if a quarter of the stories I've heard about you are true, you're nothing like that and you never will be."
"I heard you helped a refugee, a woman from Cocoon who was half feral and ready to stab the next person to come her way. Didn't ask a single gil. Later you cut a deal with an airship owner to help that very same group of refugees, running the risk that you'd lose big just to help them out."
"But we didn't end up spending anything-"
"You didn't know that going in though, did you? You were willing to take that risk, just to help those people out. And that's not mentioning those countless other people you've helped along the way. No, I think you've got nothing to worry about. Those are works worthy of Dohtor himself."
"Well, I wouldn't go that far…" You duck your head to hide your embarrassment, but you feel a lot better anyway. "Thanks, Partitio, guess I just needed a pep talk."
"Everyone needs one every once in a while. You good now?"
"Yeah. Hey, maybe if we get our business off the ground, we can do some work together."
"I'd like that."
With your mind now at ease, you continued reviewing the Universal Herbalism Catalog.
A few weeks later, one of the first printed copies wound find its way to your doorstep with a little thank-you note tucked inside.
[Master of Herb Lore trait upgraded! Bonus increased from 20 to 25]
[Partitio will be available for recruitment later]
Visit the Palace (Freya)
D100= 5You intended to request an audience with Basch, so you could share your findings in the Waterway, and potentially offer your assistance to the search. As a knight yourself, you had great sympathy for the situation Basch no doubt found himself in.
Unfortunately, you were detained instead.
"I've told you, I was attempting to contact Captain Basch of the Dalmascan Knights!" You reply in as even a tone as you can muster.
"A likely story!" The guard shot back, arms crossed. "And you expect us to believe that you've been 'hunting monsters' in the waterway?"
"Yes. I'm a Knight of Cleyra and recently made allies with Clan Centurio, they can vouch for me."
"If you're a member of Clan Centurio, where is your Clan Primer?"
"... I haven't properly received it yet. I still have to go through initiation."
"Oh really? Missing the one thing that would confirm your alibi? Perhaps you're lying to me!" He lurched forward, pressing into your personal space. "Better start telling the truth rat-tail!"
"I've told you the truth! You simply refuse to accept it!" You shout back, barely resisting the urge to knock his lights out.
"Then start making sense!"
"Soldier, what the hell are you doing?" The guard you were talking to jolted in surprise, quickly spinning around to salute the officer behind them.
"Sir! I'm interrogating a potential lead into the ah… incident! I think she may be involved!"
The officer looked back and forth between you and the guard several times. "Excuse us a moment." He wrapped an arm around the guard's neck and dragged him away. The door to the room slammed shut, and the officer started bellowing.
By the time the guard staggered back in, he was pale and shaking. "I am so sorry! I just, I've been trying to investigate on my own and..."
You sigh in frustration, but at least the wait is over now. "May I see Captain Basch now?"
"Um, well… He isn't actually here today…" The guard admitted.
"... I see." For a moment you consider screaming.
[What a waste of time…]
Just so you guys know, worst case scenario Setzer would have taken like, 4 of your funds and/or demanded several favors from you. But the dice gods said no. Also, the reason the DC was hidden is because it was a contested check. Although, I probably should have just told you it was contested.
Now... I believe I owe you a Cocoon Intermission and the start of the Mission in Midgar. I'll get on that when I can.
- Pronouns
- He
By the way guys, Nintendo Eshop currently have sale on Switch game and there is a 30% discount on Final Fantasy I-VI as well as a 60% discount on Final Fantasy VII-X plus XII.
I am personally thinking of buying the I-VI collection and VII.
I am personally thinking of buying the I-VI collection and VII.
Overall I'mreally happy with this. Freya knocked things out of the park and Setzer... the least we talk about that the better
heck yes ^_^
was hopefully optimistic when i saw the results update was 3k+ words and have not been disappointed. very nice turn (especially since this was one that's been "weakened", and we're not even done yet if there's personals and stuff on Aerith's end!)
happy that my goal of researching products went well (tea being lucrative does make sense...) and that the Seltzer roll worked out (0 funds used! we're rich!)
(i guess that theory on the two actions having synergy worked out, sorta? the previous means we nullified the need for a roll that only partially succeeded, at least)
it's also nice to see the sewers action worked out, seems like it was a pretty helpful general-purpose one then? which is exactly what we need when there's a bunch of actions with awkward DCs, huh?
with that lead/-20 to DC, i'm somewhat confident on being able to have any investigations work out, which will probs be our best pick for the next intrigue action? should be viable even without the castle info, which i'm sure will make things funny when it comes to the narrative
the sewers boss is probably going to require an extra action to pin them down, but they can probably wait so we can get the investigation first? maybe best case scenario we get investigating it as new a martial action now we know some stuff and have the sewers explored? that would be a nice option to save intrigue actions if we're not willing to join in with the sinspawn hunt...
at the very least we now have a little info on it, so it'll be easier to tell if it starts acting up massively? not sure about that logic tho tbh
was hopefully optimistic when i saw the results update was 3k+ words and have not been disappointed. very nice turn (especially since this was one that's been "weakened", and we're not even done yet if there's personals and stuff on Aerith's end!)
happy that my goal of researching products went well (tea being lucrative does make sense...) and that the Seltzer roll worked out (0 funds used! we're rich!)
(i guess that theory on the two actions having synergy worked out, sorta? the previous means we nullified the need for a roll that only partially succeeded, at least)
it's also nice to see the sewers action worked out, seems like it was a pretty helpful general-purpose one then? which is exactly what we need when there's a bunch of actions with awkward DCs, huh?
with that lead/-20 to DC, i'm somewhat confident on being able to have any investigations work out, which will probs be our best pick for the next intrigue action? should be viable even without the castle info, which i'm sure will make things funny when it comes to the narrative
the sewers boss is probably going to require an extra action to pin them down, but they can probably wait so we can get the investigation first? maybe best case scenario we get investigating it as new a martial action now we know some stuff and have the sewers explored? that would be a nice option to save intrigue actions if we're not willing to join in with the sinspawn hunt...
at the very least we now have a little info on it, so it'll be easier to tell if it starts acting up massively? not sure about that logic tho tbh
KH usually has a good "snapshot" of a character which sort of displays their "vibe" but none of the actual details. It also tends to flatten the heck out of them into single traits. KH Tidus has all the plucky competitive spirit of FF Tidus but has none of the daddy issues or "fish out of water" status. KH Squall (Leon) has all of the edge and emotional constipation, but it isn't balanced out by his romance with Rinoa and budding leadership responsibilities. KH Sephiroth is brought over whole sale as a bonus boss, but changes the context to be Cloud's "darkness" or something.
I think KH Setzer gets across the flamboyance and swagger of Setzer, but utterly fails to demonstrate how much of a hard core gambler he is. I also hope he wouldn't have to try and get a child to throw a fight, because that's just sad.
Side note, KH does nothing to justify these cameos or explain fine details. So I had no idea what the hell Seifer was talking about every time he said "isn't this romantic?" In KH. So I thought he was bully-flirting with Roxas.
Wh-whoa. Guessing "Lady Luck" increases both crit success and fail range?
... Actually, didn't we see that trait somewhere before? A levelup bonus we didn't take for Wakka?
... That would be somewhere he'd like to check out. Maybe he can give us some fun news?
... Duly noted! And hey! If they're not common here in Rabenstre, maybe they'll be a cool unique thing we can make to sell, too.
D'awww. Partitio really is just a standup guy, huh? I'd be glad to have him along.
... Poor Freya! To even have her contemplate screaming says a lot about the situation... ^^;
Oh boy. Midgar next...
Anyway, I thought about it a little and I think basically the best plan to rescue Garnet and Steiner and... Uh, actually make it out, is a smash-and-grab. Pretty much every worst-case scenario I managed to think of can be summarized as "[Zidane and Company are] surrounded by SOLDIERS and there's no way out." Heck, that's a fairly decent description of how things went down in the actual game, wasn't it? And that took a massacre from Sephiroth to escape...
Well... The hard part of "smash and grab" here is going to be the grab... We're going to have the escape plan going ASAP. Good thing they have an airship, I can't imagine them being able to escape the entire Shinra Tower with Garnet and Steiner in tow.
KH2 Sephiroth, at least, is a lot better at handling losing a fight than FF7 Sephiroth is - KH2 Sephiroth just goes "Huh, good job, best I can tell I should be dead now but it seems like only losing to Cloud will make it stick" when Sora beats him, FF7 Sephiroth spent every moment of his time in the Lifestream malding at and gaslighting Cloud because he had the temerity to beat him at the Nibelheim Reactor.
the important thing to remember is that if you're doing a stealth plan your enemies don't know you're there so aren't going to be making things harder for you than they already is, whilst if you alert them they're going to lock things down and amass forces? i don't think going full throttle they can get to Garnet before active SOLDIERS are sent their way (and while they can beat those, they'll buy time for more to arrive?) so stealth's presumably better whenever possible
the trick for this is to avoid getting into convoluted situations where you pose as a prisoner or can't bring your gear along or such (if you make sure you're ready to fight you can just switch to that plan once things go pear-shaped anyhow?)
this can limit your options, but it's probably the best of both worlds? at the very least I'm hoping the team can get to Garnet whilst stealth's maintained, since from there it's way simpler (you just need to leave, and the further you get the easier things are?)
regarding the airship, it'll probably have to be with the group performing in order to maintain cover? which could be a pain depending on how far it is, but if they get there they can hopefully hide fine and get out of any search nets.
the important thing's probably to get out of Shinra-owned facilities, from there the group has more space to run/any forces Shinra sends would need to find them first so would have a harder time grouping up?
I mean, plenty of people look at Seifer's interaction with Squall in FFVIII and see bully-flirting, and I can't exactly blame them.
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Definitely, and I do believe they can get to her. It's the "getting out" I'm worried about. I'd imagine Hojo will want to keep... """His specimens""" contained and secured very well, so unless we manage to set things up so that Zidane and Shadow would be able to impersonate Shinra officials well enough to avoid scrutiny, a very tight timer is going to start the moment Garnet and Steiner are gotten to.
... Though now that I'm saying that. How much would it take to impersonate a Turk, do you think?
oh yeah definitely, it's hard to say what security measures will be at Hojo's lab specifically but that means the infiltration team will have issues there too, and even if they can be bypassed elegantly it's pretty hard to hide a missing prisoner completely without relying on pillows and guard ineptitude? so it'd probably put things on a timer, at the very least
ideally, the team can set up stuff before any triggers are pulled to make an exfiltration easier, and get any shiny bonus loot on the way in rather than the way out.
looking at images, seems like a suit, probably.
to impersonate a Turk well? who knows lol. (maybe a nice hat and/or clipboard?)
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Interlude: Requisition
New
To your knowledge, there was no existing precedent for employing L'Cie in combat. The normally rock-solid hierarchy of rank and ability became slightly skewed when one comparison point was cursed with incredible physical and magical ability.
Should L'Cie be given the most basic rank, the same one a conscript would start with? But that seems like a waste when they are so strong. They can't be given officer rankings, most of them had little to no leadership skills and lack the qualifications. Giving them a specialist ranking made the most sense, but most specialists spent years honing their craft before achieving the rank. Should a L'Cie hold the same rank as an aerial sniper by default?
Ultimately, command had no real advice to give, and left you to figure it out for yourself. As expected.
"General Raines, Sir." One of your men walked in and saluted with one hand, the other balancing a large stack of papers. "I have the list of L'Cie, the rest of the information should be uploaded for your datalog. But… are we really thinking about bringing one on board?"
If only he knew... "That remains to be seen. There are certain… benefits to bringing L'Cie aboard. Which I will be considering carefully." The soldier still seemed slightly concerned, but you didn't become a Brigadier General by displaying questionable judgment, so he nodded and left the room.
Something about the papers made you uncomfortable, and it took until the third for you to realize what it was. These were requisition forms, the ones used for machines of war and biological weapons, not people. All of their personal information, the totality of their being, was reduced to cold statistics and descriptions of their abilities.
Just another example of the Sanctum's cruelty.
"Hey." You were so caught up that you didn't notice Fang's approach until she was already at your desk.
"Why are you here Fang?" You ask, somehow both annoyed at her intrusion and grateful for the distraction.
"Bored. I'd rather bother you than pace the ship again." She plucked one of the sheets off the top. "These the new sad sacks they're gonna saddle us with?"
"I haven't decided yet. The Cavalry is a highly respected unit, so we are usually given priority for requisitions."
"So you get the first pick? That's useful. Found any fellow rebels yet?"
"You really are incapable of subtlety, aren't you?" You shake your head, thankful that your quarters were rarely visited.
"I'm just sayin' a bunch of angry, newborn L'Cie are probably good pickings for you," Fang said breezily. You are forced to concede the point even if it felt… manipulative.
"Well, if you're going to make a nuisance of yourself, you can help me sort through these." You force half of the stack into her hands.
For a few minutes, the room was quiet aside from the shuffling of papers. You looked through sheet after sheet, names, and faces flitting past you along with their designations. Commando, Ravager, and so on.
While each L'Cie's powers were unique, they tended to fall into a few trends, or so said the (very outdated) information in the datalog. Commando attacked physically and with non-elemental magic, Ravagers attacked with elemental spells and augmented strikes, Sentinels could shield themselves with domes of magic or perform impressive evasive maneuvers, Medics could heal and cure, Synergists could enhance the offense and defense of comrades, and Saboteurs could sap the strength of others.
Again, the specifics would vary from person to person. Some might have an extreme focus on a certain branch of spells, others might be generalists, and so on.
"Found an interesting one for you," Fang announces. "Nora Estheim, has a son and a husband, says she volunteered along with a group of refugees. Synergist, Saboteur, Commando. Sounds like my kinda gal."
"What makes you say that?"
"She's got someone to care for in Cocoon, instead of Cocoon itself. Half of these people are outsiders, or those with no family. I'd guess some of them got forced to take the brand, or volunteered as some kinda self-sacrifice. But her? I'd reckon she's in it for her family." She holds out the file to you.
After giving it a quick once over, you move it to the 'consideration' pile. Fang has a good eye for people but, she also might be projecting on this particular front.
She swore to bring down the sky for 'her girl' after all…
'Sazh Katzroy' makes you come up short, wondering where you've heard the name before. It takes you a moment to remember 'Dajh Katzroy,' the boy that PSICOM has been keeping on lockdown. So his father was branded as well?
You know it's foolish, but you put him in the consideration pile as well, and make a note to put in a bid for Dajh. It seems unlikely that PSICOM will let him go but if it works you could reunite father and son…
"Oh, what the hell?!" Fang suddenly shouted, shoving a paper into your face. "Look at this shit!"
The first thing you notice is that it's a child, even younger than Dajh. She was only 4 years old?! "How could this have happened?"
You hurriedly turn to the datalog and open the attached files. No family was listed on the record, she must not have ever been a resident of Cocoon, because they had no records on her until she was branded.
Cocoon took a refugee, a child refugee, and allowed her to be branded. But of course, that's not what the records said. She 'volunteered' for the position, all so a band of refugees could enter Cocoon.
How cowardly must the others have been, to let a child take the mantle? Were the citizens of Cocoon always this heartless? Or had desperation brought out the worst in all of them?
"You said you get first pick right? Pick her." Fang commanded.
"What?"
"You're probably the only military man I trust with a kid. What if she gets picked by some power hungry idiot and forced to fight? What happens if Jihl gets her claws into her?"
You can't help but shudder, Jihl has been making use of Dajh as a bargaining chip for a while now, there's no reason she wouldn't go lower. "Of course. I'll sign them, all of them."
"Good. Now I gotta go break something." Fang stomped off, gripping her spear so tightly you worried the shaft might bend.
Breaking things sounded good, so you quickly put in your requests and followed Fang to the training room.
A few days later your requests would be approved. Sazh and Dajh Katzroy, Nora Estheim, and Marlene Wallace were being reassigned to the Cavalry. But you would also be granted a new mission statement.
Join the frontline efforts against Yusnaan.
Should L'Cie be given the most basic rank, the same one a conscript would start with? But that seems like a waste when they are so strong. They can't be given officer rankings, most of them had little to no leadership skills and lack the qualifications. Giving them a specialist ranking made the most sense, but most specialists spent years honing their craft before achieving the rank. Should a L'Cie hold the same rank as an aerial sniper by default?
Ultimately, command had no real advice to give, and left you to figure it out for yourself. As expected.
"General Raines, Sir." One of your men walked in and saluted with one hand, the other balancing a large stack of papers. "I have the list of L'Cie, the rest of the information should be uploaded for your datalog. But… are we really thinking about bringing one on board?"
If only he knew... "That remains to be seen. There are certain… benefits to bringing L'Cie aboard. Which I will be considering carefully." The soldier still seemed slightly concerned, but you didn't become a Brigadier General by displaying questionable judgment, so he nodded and left the room.
Something about the papers made you uncomfortable, and it took until the third for you to realize what it was. These were requisition forms, the ones used for machines of war and biological weapons, not people. All of their personal information, the totality of their being, was reduced to cold statistics and descriptions of their abilities.
Just another example of the Sanctum's cruelty.
"Hey." You were so caught up that you didn't notice Fang's approach until she was already at your desk.
"Why are you here Fang?" You ask, somehow both annoyed at her intrusion and grateful for the distraction.
"Bored. I'd rather bother you than pace the ship again." She plucked one of the sheets off the top. "These the new sad sacks they're gonna saddle us with?"
"I haven't decided yet. The Cavalry is a highly respected unit, so we are usually given priority for requisitions."
"So you get the first pick? That's useful. Found any fellow rebels yet?"
"You really are incapable of subtlety, aren't you?" You shake your head, thankful that your quarters were rarely visited.
"I'm just sayin' a bunch of angry, newborn L'Cie are probably good pickings for you," Fang said breezily. You are forced to concede the point even if it felt… manipulative.
"Well, if you're going to make a nuisance of yourself, you can help me sort through these." You force half of the stack into her hands.
For a few minutes, the room was quiet aside from the shuffling of papers. You looked through sheet after sheet, names, and faces flitting past you along with their designations. Commando, Ravager, and so on.
While each L'Cie's powers were unique, they tended to fall into a few trends, or so said the (very outdated) information in the datalog. Commando attacked physically and with non-elemental magic, Ravagers attacked with elemental spells and augmented strikes, Sentinels could shield themselves with domes of magic or perform impressive evasive maneuvers, Medics could heal and cure, Synergists could enhance the offense and defense of comrades, and Saboteurs could sap the strength of others.
Again, the specifics would vary from person to person. Some might have an extreme focus on a certain branch of spells, others might be generalists, and so on.
"Found an interesting one for you," Fang announces. "Nora Estheim, has a son and a husband, says she volunteered along with a group of refugees. Synergist, Saboteur, Commando. Sounds like my kinda gal."
"What makes you say that?"
"She's got someone to care for in Cocoon, instead of Cocoon itself. Half of these people are outsiders, or those with no family. I'd guess some of them got forced to take the brand, or volunteered as some kinda self-sacrifice. But her? I'd reckon she's in it for her family." She holds out the file to you.
After giving it a quick once over, you move it to the 'consideration' pile. Fang has a good eye for people but, she also might be projecting on this particular front.
She swore to bring down the sky for 'her girl' after all…
'Sazh Katzroy' makes you come up short, wondering where you've heard the name before. It takes you a moment to remember 'Dajh Katzroy,' the boy that PSICOM has been keeping on lockdown. So his father was branded as well?
You know it's foolish, but you put him in the consideration pile as well, and make a note to put in a bid for Dajh. It seems unlikely that PSICOM will let him go but if it works you could reunite father and son…
"Oh, what the hell?!" Fang suddenly shouted, shoving a paper into your face. "Look at this shit!"
The first thing you notice is that it's a child, even younger than Dajh. She was only 4 years old?! "How could this have happened?"
You hurriedly turn to the datalog and open the attached files. No family was listed on the record, she must not have ever been a resident of Cocoon, because they had no records on her until she was branded.
Cocoon took a refugee, a child refugee, and allowed her to be branded. But of course, that's not what the records said. She 'volunteered' for the position, all so a band of refugees could enter Cocoon.
How cowardly must the others have been, to let a child take the mantle? Were the citizens of Cocoon always this heartless? Or had desperation brought out the worst in all of them?
"You said you get first pick right? Pick her." Fang commanded.
"What?"
"You're probably the only military man I trust with a kid. What if she gets picked by some power hungry idiot and forced to fight? What happens if Jihl gets her claws into her?"
You can't help but shudder, Jihl has been making use of Dajh as a bargaining chip for a while now, there's no reason she wouldn't go lower. "Of course. I'll sign them, all of them."
"Good. Now I gotta go break something." Fang stomped off, gripping her spear so tightly you worried the shaft might bend.
Breaking things sounded good, so you quickly put in your requests and followed Fang to the training room.
A few days later your requests would be approved. Sazh and Dajh Katzroy, Nora Estheim, and Marlene Wallace were being reassigned to the Cavalry. But you would also be granted a new mission statement.
Join the frontline efforts against Yusnaan.
Last edited:
Guardian Corps
New
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Guardian Corps
Lightning marched through the trees, one hand on the hilt of her sheathed gunblade. She periodically stopped short to scan the area, and yet, not a sound out of place. As she neared one of the clearings detailed in the briefing, though, it began. Chittering. A few woops. A bit of smoke rising above the canopy.
She ducked into the brush, breaths held slow and steady, and observed. Green-clad creatures gathered around a fire, dancing and cheering. A few more colourful members dressed in an eclectic mix of primary colours. She narrowed her eyes. One monster type from the briefing came to mind, the goblins and munchkins, but those were firmly in the "Do Not Engage" section, at least for a lone soldier. These were different. Much more humanoid, and no skates for feet or clubs for hands.
Reacting to an actual weapon would likely be easier than elastic, bludgeoning arms.
She burst from the foliage, unsheathed and unfolded her gunblade, and skidded to a halt. Blade pointed forward, one shot aimed square at a green one's head. With that, she learned two things.
First, these weren't nearly as durable as the goblins in the briefing. Likely wouldn't be fusing into even bigger versions of themselves either, but that couldn't be fully left off the table.
Second, they still retained the group dynamics mentioned, and one hitting the dirt meant the rest screamed bloody murder.
Still, even as they pulled knives on her, she ran to meet them. She sidestepped, rolled, slid, anything to run circles around the group and pit herself against one at a time. Honestly, at this point, those who gathered the food the fal'Cie spewed out had it rougher than this. They just kept falling, one by one, before she got a chance to actually try.
When the last of the green ones fell from a slash to the chest, the colourful ones rallied together, taking a defensive formation with two carrying swords and bucklers in front and one in the back readying a bow. She flicked the gunblade forward for a warning shot, and it grazed off a buckler. She sighed.
"Finally."
When the archer let loose the first arrow, she tucked and rolled to the treeline, then snapped her fingers. A glow surged into her boots, and she leapt to the nearest trunk, weightless, where she landed as though she were on solid ground. While the creatures were still startled from her performance, she leapt off. Trunk to trunk, even into the thicker branches when the shock wore off and they sent another arrow her way.
Once she landed on the trunk behind the group, she stared them down, gunblade at the ready. They shifted to protect the archer, of course, and she readied her leap. Both shields raised, and another arrow nocked.
And she took off and flew, high above the arrow, the shields, and their wielders.
With another snap, the glow dispersed, and she plummeted to the earth, blade driving down. The archer stumbled back, but she still pierced through its chest, yanked her sword free, then whirled a wide swing behind her. Two brief moments of resistance against her blade confirmed that gamble paid off.
"Well. Not the worst fight today. Still..." She folded and sheathed her gunblade, then crouched to the bodies of the more colourful fighters. "Have we found a single monster from Pulse yet? Starting to think that briefing may as well have been 'Roll the dice, see what happens.'"
A blessing in disguise, more like. Over half the list recommended a full squad, and another quarter demanded they flee entirely. Everything thus far in the new land near Cocoon had been chaff by comparison.
She froze. Rustling. Both sides of the clearing. She spun around to the one nearest her and dug in her heels. What sprung from the treeline, she had no idea. Blue mane, four powerful legs, and a pink horn in its long head. "What the—and what are...?" It was upon her before she could draw her weapon. It reared up, waving its legs about, and she sprung back, landing hard on her rear.
Lightning grit her teeth. She snapped her fingers again, only to get a brief sputter of a glow in her boots. The creature stared her down, horn lowered, one leg stamping the ground as it huffed. With a shrill cry, it sprung towards her.
A mechanical whirring and bursting sound answered, along with several large holes where its chest used to be. It veered off course, collapsed, and went still.
"You really oughta quit messing with those gravity gizmos, Farron."
She groaned, dragged herself to her feet, and brushed the dirt off her uniform as she turned to meet him. "They're more versatile than the others are willing to admit, Lieutenant Amodar. I think I use them well."
Amodar let out a booming laugh through his broad torso, then set down his minigun with an earth-shattering thud. "Yeah, you sure do. And look where it gets you when it fizzles out from overuse! Those things are cleared for brief, safe landings. That's it. Go any harder and you risk shorting the thing. And strapping 'em to your boots ain't helping matters."
"Fine, I'll... I'll think about it, sir." She crossed her arms. "Still, look around. Found something like the goblins and munchkins, but they went down like nothing. And that creature you shot to a standstill? Nothing even remotely similar in the briefing."
He grumbled, a hand on his hip. "You're tellin' me. This place looks normal, but the monsters're nothing but. And of all people to check it out, they send..." He gazed off at the corpses, shaking his head.
Lightning waited, but he continued to stare. Gears turning, but nothing she'd hear. "If that's all, sir, I'll keep scouting ahead. We'll have the area cleared before dark." She turned, set a hand on her hilt, and marched.
"Farron. No... Lightning."
Her eyes went wide, and her hand slipped from her weapon. "Sir?"
"None of that. Not right now. I'm speakin' freely, and so should you. So 'Amodar' is just fine." She turned to face him, and he knelt by his minigun, doing maintenance and cleaning parts with a rag. "Lightning. What's your take on all this? I know damn well you don't wanna be here. You're lucky that what little paperwork they pushed through when you quit and boarded that train just happened to go missing in my office." His hand went still. "What are you after, Lightning? What was worth that, after I told you to keep your nose out of the Pulse Vestige situation?"
She didn't meet his eyes. Still, the word pushed past her lips. "Serah." She cringed, but continued. "My sister got branded by the Vestige, Amodar. And she was in it when they carted it off to the Hanging Edge. And now, I can't get a single damn word on whether the Vestige is still there, let alone if anyone was in it after everything shattered." Her jaw clenched, but she looked up to Amodar at last. "I want to find her. Even if it means searching out here, in the middle of nowhere. So I guess those new orders were convenient."
He nodded, but his brow remained knit. "I getcha. I got my own opinions of how they're using the Guardian Corps, frankly. This ain't right, Lightning. I didn't like how they handled the civilians before all this, and I sure don't like it now. One minute they're carting a whole town off to be Purged, the next they're branding our own folks just wanting to come home. And the real kicker? The Guardian Corps, the only ones who give a damn about the average folk, getting sent out here for scouting." His fist slammed the ground, rivaling his own weapon's impact. "Lightning, I... I talked with the others, a bit. About what to do. What we can do. And we're not sure yet. But even still..." He pushed himself up, heaving his minigun as well. "Maybe come hear what we've got so far. They could use your insight, Lightning. Especially with how you push what gear we have to its absolute limits."
Her breath caught, but given another moment, she exhaled deeply. A nod, and she decided. "I'll be there. Count on it, Amodar."
A smile lit his face at last. "Thank you. I mean it. Now, then..." He stood up straight, weapon at the ready. "Back to work, Farron. See it through."
She laid a fist over her chest. "Yes, sir." With that, she marched to where the blue-maned creature emerged. Given enough time, she and Lieutenant Amodar got to their planned formation once more, him paces behind her somewhere in the trees. With that relative solitude once more, she whispered.
"Wait for me, Serah. We'll find you. And we'll complete your Focus."
--
Lightning's top-rightmost, Amodar's second from the top in the yellow, I'm just gonna be brief here and leave some accompanying listening because the Interlude got posted while I was colouring this oh shit—
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fwxrXAi4FQ
Lightning marched through the trees, one hand on the hilt of her sheathed gunblade. She periodically stopped short to scan the area, and yet, not a sound out of place. As she neared one of the clearings detailed in the briefing, though, it began. Chittering. A few woops. A bit of smoke rising above the canopy.
She ducked into the brush, breaths held slow and steady, and observed. Green-clad creatures gathered around a fire, dancing and cheering. A few more colourful members dressed in an eclectic mix of primary colours. She narrowed her eyes. One monster type from the briefing came to mind, the goblins and munchkins, but those were firmly in the "Do Not Engage" section, at least for a lone soldier. These were different. Much more humanoid, and no skates for feet or clubs for hands.
Reacting to an actual weapon would likely be easier than elastic, bludgeoning arms.
She burst from the foliage, unsheathed and unfolded her gunblade, and skidded to a halt. Blade pointed forward, one shot aimed square at a green one's head. With that, she learned two things.
First, these weren't nearly as durable as the goblins in the briefing. Likely wouldn't be fusing into even bigger versions of themselves either, but that couldn't be fully left off the table.
Second, they still retained the group dynamics mentioned, and one hitting the dirt meant the rest screamed bloody murder.
Still, even as they pulled knives on her, she ran to meet them. She sidestepped, rolled, slid, anything to run circles around the group and pit herself against one at a time. Honestly, at this point, those who gathered the food the fal'Cie spewed out had it rougher than this. They just kept falling, one by one, before she got a chance to actually try.
When the last of the green ones fell from a slash to the chest, the colourful ones rallied together, taking a defensive formation with two carrying swords and bucklers in front and one in the back readying a bow. She flicked the gunblade forward for a warning shot, and it grazed off a buckler. She sighed.
"Finally."
When the archer let loose the first arrow, she tucked and rolled to the treeline, then snapped her fingers. A glow surged into her boots, and she leapt to the nearest trunk, weightless, where she landed as though she were on solid ground. While the creatures were still startled from her performance, she leapt off. Trunk to trunk, even into the thicker branches when the shock wore off and they sent another arrow her way.
Once she landed on the trunk behind the group, she stared them down, gunblade at the ready. They shifted to protect the archer, of course, and she readied her leap. Both shields raised, and another arrow nocked.
And she took off and flew, high above the arrow, the shields, and their wielders.
With another snap, the glow dispersed, and she plummeted to the earth, blade driving down. The archer stumbled back, but she still pierced through its chest, yanked her sword free, then whirled a wide swing behind her. Two brief moments of resistance against her blade confirmed that gamble paid off.
"Well. Not the worst fight today. Still..." She folded and sheathed her gunblade, then crouched to the bodies of the more colourful fighters. "Have we found a single monster from Pulse yet? Starting to think that briefing may as well have been 'Roll the dice, see what happens.'"
A blessing in disguise, more like. Over half the list recommended a full squad, and another quarter demanded they flee entirely. Everything thus far in the new land near Cocoon had been chaff by comparison.
She froze. Rustling. Both sides of the clearing. She spun around to the one nearest her and dug in her heels. What sprung from the treeline, she had no idea. Blue mane, four powerful legs, and a pink horn in its long head. "What the—and what are...?" It was upon her before she could draw her weapon. It reared up, waving its legs about, and she sprung back, landing hard on her rear.
Lightning grit her teeth. She snapped her fingers again, only to get a brief sputter of a glow in her boots. The creature stared her down, horn lowered, one leg stamping the ground as it huffed. With a shrill cry, it sprung towards her.
A mechanical whirring and bursting sound answered, along with several large holes where its chest used to be. It veered off course, collapsed, and went still.
"You really oughta quit messing with those gravity gizmos, Farron."
She groaned, dragged herself to her feet, and brushed the dirt off her uniform as she turned to meet him. "They're more versatile than the others are willing to admit, Lieutenant Amodar. I think I use them well."
Amodar let out a booming laugh through his broad torso, then set down his minigun with an earth-shattering thud. "Yeah, you sure do. And look where it gets you when it fizzles out from overuse! Those things are cleared for brief, safe landings. That's it. Go any harder and you risk shorting the thing. And strapping 'em to your boots ain't helping matters."
"Fine, I'll... I'll think about it, sir." She crossed her arms. "Still, look around. Found something like the goblins and munchkins, but they went down like nothing. And that creature you shot to a standstill? Nothing even remotely similar in the briefing."
He grumbled, a hand on his hip. "You're tellin' me. This place looks normal, but the monsters're nothing but. And of all people to check it out, they send..." He gazed off at the corpses, shaking his head.
Lightning waited, but he continued to stare. Gears turning, but nothing she'd hear. "If that's all, sir, I'll keep scouting ahead. We'll have the area cleared before dark." She turned, set a hand on her hilt, and marched.
"Farron. No... Lightning."
Her eyes went wide, and her hand slipped from her weapon. "Sir?"
"None of that. Not right now. I'm speakin' freely, and so should you. So 'Amodar' is just fine." She turned to face him, and he knelt by his minigun, doing maintenance and cleaning parts with a rag. "Lightning. What's your take on all this? I know damn well you don't wanna be here. You're lucky that what little paperwork they pushed through when you quit and boarded that train just happened to go missing in my office." His hand went still. "What are you after, Lightning? What was worth that, after I told you to keep your nose out of the Pulse Vestige situation?"
She didn't meet his eyes. Still, the word pushed past her lips. "Serah." She cringed, but continued. "My sister got branded by the Vestige, Amodar. And she was in it when they carted it off to the Hanging Edge. And now, I can't get a single damn word on whether the Vestige is still there, let alone if anyone was in it after everything shattered." Her jaw clenched, but she looked up to Amodar at last. "I want to find her. Even if it means searching out here, in the middle of nowhere. So I guess those new orders were convenient."
He nodded, but his brow remained knit. "I getcha. I got my own opinions of how they're using the Guardian Corps, frankly. This ain't right, Lightning. I didn't like how they handled the civilians before all this, and I sure don't like it now. One minute they're carting a whole town off to be Purged, the next they're branding our own folks just wanting to come home. And the real kicker? The Guardian Corps, the only ones who give a damn about the average folk, getting sent out here for scouting." His fist slammed the ground, rivaling his own weapon's impact. "Lightning, I... I talked with the others, a bit. About what to do. What we can do. And we're not sure yet. But even still..." He pushed himself up, heaving his minigun as well. "Maybe come hear what we've got so far. They could use your insight, Lightning. Especially with how you push what gear we have to its absolute limits."
Her breath caught, but given another moment, she exhaled deeply. A nod, and she decided. "I'll be there. Count on it, Amodar."
A smile lit his face at last. "Thank you. I mean it. Now, then..." He stood up straight, weapon at the ready. "Back to work, Farron. See it through."
She laid a fist over her chest. "Yes, sir." With that, she marched to where the blue-maned creature emerged. Given enough time, she and Lieutenant Amodar got to their planned formation once more, him paces behind her somewhere in the trees. With that relative solitude once more, she whispered.
"Wait for me, Serah. We'll find you. And we'll complete your Focus."
--
Lightning's top-rightmost, Amodar's second from the top in the yellow, I'm just gonna be brief here and leave some accompanying listening because the Interlude got posted while I was colouring this oh shit—
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fwxrXAi4FQ
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Okay so I didn't know I needed Nora to be rocking SYN-SAB-COM until I saw it listed. I'm down. I'm very, very down.
...anyways there's a much more important thing going on there, ohhhhhhh shit. The parallels of burdened tinies are getting potent, to say the least.
Barret's gonna lose his fucking mind when he eventually finds out, huh. :<
...anyways there's a much more important thing going on there, ohhhhhhh shit. The parallels of burdened tinies are getting potent, to say the least.
Barret's gonna lose his fucking mind when he eventually finds out, huh. :<
- Location
- SEAsia
- Pronouns
- Thou
Now I've got this mental picture of Marlene rocking a Rambo bandana like Yuffie and a grenade launcher. 
"Daddy says don't talk to strangers. He didn't say anything about not blowing them up, though!"
- Marlene "Killemall" Wallace
"Daddy says don't talk to strangers. He didn't say anything about not blowing them up, though!"
- Marlene "Killemall" Wallace
- Location
- SEAsia
- Pronouns
- Thou
Or more like, you know, what happened (Marlene happened) to everyone.
Hm, for me, this is a good reason to be less combat oriented and more going with the 'healer organization'. Because we'll want an R&D department that can work hard to try to either undo the branding, prevent the brand from evolving, or just counter either crystal or Cieth transformation. Obviously, that's gonna be more than 'throw some dice at it' but I feel that an organization gathering the best and brightest in healing and cursebreaking is better placed to face that challenge than hunters/mercenaries. (Obviously, even as mercs we could try to research, but we'd have less resources for it)
I think this also works better with Aerith's... Aerith-ness.