OOC ❦ PROFILE
Name: Balthier, which is an alias. His real name is Ffamran mied Bunansa.
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Time Period: The epilogue. Balthier will have been out of contact with the entire party (excepting Fran, of course) for about a year.
Wing Color: Tawny brown on the back, white with black barring on the underside. Modeled after a red tailed hawk.
History: http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Balthier
Personality: Someone who had never been told what Balthier’s occupation was would probably swear up and down that he is a member of society’s upper crust. Speaking in a fine British-sounding accent, Balthier comes off as both proper and educated, with an extended vocabulary and polite, charming demeanor. In fact, he retains this propriety even in the worst situations, and will continue to say his pleases and thank-yous, though they’ll become significantly less sincere. Balthier’s descriptions of things are often understated and sarcastic, as would befit a bored noble. And yet, the charismatic Balthier seems far more world-weary and difficult to pin down than sheltered. His humor is dry, and his outlook flirts with pessimism. But ever the dandy sky pirate, Balthier’s hygiene and the state of his clothes are of great concern to him and it’s common to hear him craving baths and clean clothes, or mourning that his shirt cuffs have been "soiled." All in all he sounds like the last place in the world he ought to be is tromping through the wilderness in search of treasure and piracy. Despite this, Balthier is more than willing to do whatever it takes to reel in the next big haul. The large bounty he had on his head was proof enough that he’s never afraid to get his hands dirty (at least not in a figurative sense).
Balthier is confident to the point of having a swagger. He never outwardly doubts himself or his abilities, and acts as though it ought to be a given that he’ll always come out on top. This isn’t to say that he takes himself too seriously, though. Balthier is self-assured enough to make fun of his own ego by referring to himself as the leading man in the great play that is his life. Though he persists with this theater-themed running joke, there are no doubts that Balthier thinks he is very impressive. Usually he believes himself to be much more capable than whoever he’s traveling with at the moment, and ultimately gives orders much better than he takes them. He's an intelligent combination of calculating and daring, and has a great deal of faith in his own judgement. When things don't work out, he may get cross, but he's quick to recover and take the reins. Balthier prefers subtlety and waiting for the right moment, and routinely steps in to control the situation and stop his companions from showing their hands (or simply getting themselves killed).
Balthier is a cool head, and his confidence is a quiet sort that suggests he just knows. If he does ever doubt himself, it’s not likely to show. He keeps all his emotions on a short leash and doesn’t let them get the best of him. As a result Balthier is patient and potentially gentle, and if ever his anger is expressed, at worst it seems cold and controlled. He's more likely to get mildly irritated, and might snap at the source of his anger. However, anyone would be hard pressed to name a time when he lost his temper or even raised his voice, be it with anger or joy. The world can be falling around his ears and he’d only act annoyed and inconvenienced. He’s just as tight-lipped when it comes to verbally explaining anything personal. Balthier does not enjoy letting people in, and he only opens up when it’s for a very good reason. Outside of Fran, presumably, Balthier only willingly spoke once to Ashe about his background. It wasn’t a confession motivated by needed to be heard or wanting sympathy, but rather because he hoped it might save Ashe from his father's fate.
Balthier is not a bad person, per se, but his intentions are certainly not what would qualify as good-hearted and benevolent. He’s motivated by a combination of greed, wanderlust, and a simple desire to escape what he can’t deal with. He expects payment for his services and never does anything for free, even if his ideas of what qualifies as payment can be unconventional. But in the end, if you scratch his back, he’ll scratch yours. It’s only once people break past one of his many barriers that this changes and Balthier can prove to be surprisingly selfless. With close friends he expects a mutual exchange of favors, support and help, so in a way it’s still not true altruism. There’s always an unspoken expectation of balance.
For all his bravado and flair for the dramatics, Balthier knows when to cut his losses and make a quick exit. In fact, it’s one of his greatest faults. The threat of great adventure and facing down unknown monstrosities can’t scare away Balthier, but emotional, personal problems will make him run and hide. He solves his troubles by simply walking away from them and cutting all ties, rather than by addressing it head-on. This typically means he never directly addresses what’s bothering him and avoids social confrontations. However, on two major occasions he really did just abruptly pick up and leave, rather than face the consequences. The first time was when he realized he couldn’t save his father and so he abandoned his old life for a new one of his own making, and the second time he slipped away after the crash of Bahamut. Upon realizing what he’d be faced with if he went back, Balthier instead chose to disappear. There would doubtlessly be controversy for Ashe and Larsa over associating with criminals if they decided to recognize himself and Fran as allies. Furthermore, he’d need to reassume his name and titles and return to his home, along with all of the memories of his father as he used to be, and of what he became.
Of other people Balthier is cautiously trusting, or at the very least he actively tries not to judge them on their background or current situation. He lets everyone have a chance to make a good impression on him and doesn’t pay heed to gossip or rumors. It’s partially because ge wants to receive the same courtesy despite his notorious pirate status, and with all things Balthier expects that if he gives a little he’ll get a little in return. Allowing Ashe to accompany them out of the sewers despite having a good hunch about who she was ended up being a good decision. Not to mention freeing and bringing along Basch, who he gave the benefit of the doubt against his better judgment at the time. Balthier is perceptive and intelligent, taking the small details and trying to put them together into a logical picture. He looks between the lines and finds what doesn’t fit, and when observing a target he can sometimes be overtly suspicious in his crusade to find out just what is going on. The appearance of Larsa made his gears start turning as he puzzled over the identity of the boy that acted nothing like any other Balthier had met. He naturally focuses on the details which is why he needs someone like Fran to keep the big picture in mind, lest he get lost in them. Still, he's quick to assess people and situations, and his conclusions are usually very sharp.
Though he worried over the ever present threat of Ashe abusing the nethecite for power and revenge, Balthier never thought she would actually fall. Although he has trouble opening up, he seems to have fewer issues trusting, and holds his allies in high esteem even if he seems emotionally frigid. He has great faith in Ashe's judgement, and tells Vaan that he can have the Strahl, Balthier's precious airship, if he doesn't survive. When this trust is misplaced, it seems to wound him very deeply. In regards to his father, who had become a slave to the nethecite, Balthier wanted to believe more than anything that he could have and should have been able to save and redeem him. If asked, and if he actually gave a straight answer and not a charming deflection, Balthier would say that he'd lost his father many years ago, long before his actual death. But he still mourns the man, and always held out hope that he would somehow show up, win his father over, and everything would somehow work out. He craved confirmation that he was more important to Dr. Cid than his precious nethecite, but instead the last words he shared with his father were impersonal and harsh without any recognition of him as a son.
When it comes down to do or die, Balthier can be daring and bold. He never loses that calculating edge, but he will put himself at great personal risk for others if it's necessary. He stands by his new friends even when he realizes that he's managed to get himself in over his head, despite that all illusions of being handsomely rewarded for his participation had been abandoned. Unlike some of the others, Balthier was always free to leave. Being a criminal on the run wasn't a new experience for him, and the Strahl was always in his possession even if they weren't using it. Instead, he opted to stay and help secure some kind of political stability and free the world from that which killed his father. Over the course of the adventure, he comes to terms with the fact that this decision might cost him his life.
Strengths: Balthier is a very intelligent man, and routinely shows himself to be observant and quick witted. He figures out who Ashe is long before she admits it, and suspects Larsa as well. When politics and intrigue are afoot, Balthier is often the one to figure out what's going on and share it with the rest of the group. Furthermore, he's a skilled enough thief to have built up a significant international bounty, and for the first part of the game he's being pursued by a group of particularly vicious bounty hunters that the party isn't strong enough to enter combat with. With Fran's assistance, he breaks into a heavily guarded palace, although he's foiled due to an attack on the fete by the Dalmascan insurgence. Balthier is also a skilled pilot and extremely technologically gifted, having kept the Strahl, his airship, in working order. It's also presumable that as the primary wielder of firearms in the party, he cares for those as well. Near the end of the game, Balthier almost single handedly repairs a floundering sky fortress, managing to redirect it away from a population center before the system gave out entirely.
In stressful situations, such as the one above, Balthier maintains his cool head. He never panics, and remains calm even when faced with imprisonment, potential death, and emotional distress. Even as his father is dying and isn't even sane enough to acknowledge his son, Balthier only wavers slightly. He otherwise remains composed. This demeanor may be a little emotionally stunted, but it makes him a good candidate for being a quiet sort of leader. He often takes control of the situation when others are struggling, and steps in to give commands until someone louder or higher ranking recovers enough to take control. Although he can't charm everyone, Balthier is polite and charismatic, and has a good record for winning over the other members. Vaan quickly idolizes him, and even Ashe who had every reason to distrust him eventually comes to share a kind of friendly affection and respect.
In combat, Balthier favors firearms and explosives, although he can be equipped with other weapons. He's by far the best with the former, and so it can be said that he's an excellent shot and knows his fantasy medieval demolitions. He's primarily a thief, which means speed over strength. Although he prefers wild heists and treasure hunting, he's an accomplished pickpocket as well. He might also consider his flair for dramatic timing to be a strength.
Weaknesses: Balthier is in many ways a coward. While he's not going to get spooked by monsters and tomb raiding, his natural reaction is to run away from his problems. He abandoned his father when he was going insane, and would later run and hide from the friends he had saved the world with. When things become too difficult or he becomes too miserable, Balthier would rather leave than stay to fix it. He's so emotionally restrained that he might even come off as emotionally stunted. The same example above, where he shows only the mildest reaction to his father's death, is an example of this shortcoming as much as it is his ability to remain steady under emotional distress. Although he was hurting badly, he wasn't able to show it. Balthier is rather poor at expressing his emotions, and he's private to the point of being standoffish. It's unlikely that he'd willingly address anything bothering him if there's an option to simply walk away from the issue and wait for it to work itself out. It's a poor method for dealing with his problems, and is perhaps a reflection of his age combined with his unfortunate early life.
Balthier's arrogance can also be grating. While his confidence is sometimes charming and magnetic, often times it's also difficult and annoying. He's cynically unimpressed by the struggles of others, and while he may ultimately do the right thing, his attitude doesn't inspire trust. Balthier is simply not very sincere, and every other thing he says is a dry joke, while the rest sounds superior and exasperated with his company. Genuine moments with Balthier are few and far between.
Although he's generally a very practical man, there are some vestiges of his pampered life that haven't totally left him. Balthier is extremely vain, if his well groomed appearance is any indication. He also complains routinely about getting his clothes dirty, needing a change of clothes, wanting a bath, etc. Hygiene is rather high on his list of concerns, as is keeping himself in moderate comfort. He's monetarily motivated in most cases, and even when doing the right thing, he's not afraid to try and make a profit off it.
Lastly, Balthier is a poor hand-to-hand fighter, and only a mediocre mage. While he can be equipped with blades and such, doing so will cause him to lag behind his companions in battle. It's therefore reasonable to assume that if any short range warrior caught up with him, it would be a quick, bloody fight and Balthier would not be on the winning side.
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Time Period: The epilogue. Balthier will have been out of contact with the entire party (excepting Fran, of course) for about a year.
Wing Color: Tawny brown on the back, white with black barring on the underside. Modeled after a red tailed hawk.
History: http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Balthier
Personality: Someone who had never been told what Balthier’s occupation was would probably swear up and down that he is a member of society’s upper crust. Speaking in a fine British-sounding accent, Balthier comes off as both proper and educated, with an extended vocabulary and polite, charming demeanor. In fact, he retains this propriety even in the worst situations, and will continue to say his pleases and thank-yous, though they’ll become significantly less sincere. Balthier’s descriptions of things are often understated and sarcastic, as would befit a bored noble. And yet, the charismatic Balthier seems far more world-weary and difficult to pin down than sheltered. His humor is dry, and his outlook flirts with pessimism. But ever the dandy sky pirate, Balthier’s hygiene and the state of his clothes are of great concern to him and it’s common to hear him craving baths and clean clothes, or mourning that his shirt cuffs have been "soiled." All in all he sounds like the last place in the world he ought to be is tromping through the wilderness in search of treasure and piracy. Despite this, Balthier is more than willing to do whatever it takes to reel in the next big haul. The large bounty he had on his head was proof enough that he’s never afraid to get his hands dirty (at least not in a figurative sense).
Balthier is confident to the point of having a swagger. He never outwardly doubts himself or his abilities, and acts as though it ought to be a given that he’ll always come out on top. This isn’t to say that he takes himself too seriously, though. Balthier is self-assured enough to make fun of his own ego by referring to himself as the leading man in the great play that is his life. Though he persists with this theater-themed running joke, there are no doubts that Balthier thinks he is very impressive. Usually he believes himself to be much more capable than whoever he’s traveling with at the moment, and ultimately gives orders much better than he takes them. He's an intelligent combination of calculating and daring, and has a great deal of faith in his own judgement. When things don't work out, he may get cross, but he's quick to recover and take the reins. Balthier prefers subtlety and waiting for the right moment, and routinely steps in to control the situation and stop his companions from showing their hands (or simply getting themselves killed).
Balthier is a cool head, and his confidence is a quiet sort that suggests he just knows. If he does ever doubt himself, it’s not likely to show. He keeps all his emotions on a short leash and doesn’t let them get the best of him. As a result Balthier is patient and potentially gentle, and if ever his anger is expressed, at worst it seems cold and controlled. He's more likely to get mildly irritated, and might snap at the source of his anger. However, anyone would be hard pressed to name a time when he lost his temper or even raised his voice, be it with anger or joy. The world can be falling around his ears and he’d only act annoyed and inconvenienced. He’s just as tight-lipped when it comes to verbally explaining anything personal. Balthier does not enjoy letting people in, and he only opens up when it’s for a very good reason. Outside of Fran, presumably, Balthier only willingly spoke once to Ashe about his background. It wasn’t a confession motivated by needed to be heard or wanting sympathy, but rather because he hoped it might save Ashe from his father's fate.
Balthier is not a bad person, per se, but his intentions are certainly not what would qualify as good-hearted and benevolent. He’s motivated by a combination of greed, wanderlust, and a simple desire to escape what he can’t deal with. He expects payment for his services and never does anything for free, even if his ideas of what qualifies as payment can be unconventional. But in the end, if you scratch his back, he’ll scratch yours. It’s only once people break past one of his many barriers that this changes and Balthier can prove to be surprisingly selfless. With close friends he expects a mutual exchange of favors, support and help, so in a way it’s still not true altruism. There’s always an unspoken expectation of balance.
For all his bravado and flair for the dramatics, Balthier knows when to cut his losses and make a quick exit. In fact, it’s one of his greatest faults. The threat of great adventure and facing down unknown monstrosities can’t scare away Balthier, but emotional, personal problems will make him run and hide. He solves his troubles by simply walking away from them and cutting all ties, rather than by addressing it head-on. This typically means he never directly addresses what’s bothering him and avoids social confrontations. However, on two major occasions he really did just abruptly pick up and leave, rather than face the consequences. The first time was when he realized he couldn’t save his father and so he abandoned his old life for a new one of his own making, and the second time he slipped away after the crash of Bahamut. Upon realizing what he’d be faced with if he went back, Balthier instead chose to disappear. There would doubtlessly be controversy for Ashe and Larsa over associating with criminals if they decided to recognize himself and Fran as allies. Furthermore, he’d need to reassume his name and titles and return to his home, along with all of the memories of his father as he used to be, and of what he became.
Of other people Balthier is cautiously trusting, or at the very least he actively tries not to judge them on their background or current situation. He lets everyone have a chance to make a good impression on him and doesn’t pay heed to gossip or rumors. It’s partially because ge wants to receive the same courtesy despite his notorious pirate status, and with all things Balthier expects that if he gives a little he’ll get a little in return. Allowing Ashe to accompany them out of the sewers despite having a good hunch about who she was ended up being a good decision. Not to mention freeing and bringing along Basch, who he gave the benefit of the doubt against his better judgment at the time. Balthier is perceptive and intelligent, taking the small details and trying to put them together into a logical picture. He looks between the lines and finds what doesn’t fit, and when observing a target he can sometimes be overtly suspicious in his crusade to find out just what is going on. The appearance of Larsa made his gears start turning as he puzzled over the identity of the boy that acted nothing like any other Balthier had met. He naturally focuses on the details which is why he needs someone like Fran to keep the big picture in mind, lest he get lost in them. Still, he's quick to assess people and situations, and his conclusions are usually very sharp.
Though he worried over the ever present threat of Ashe abusing the nethecite for power and revenge, Balthier never thought she would actually fall. Although he has trouble opening up, he seems to have fewer issues trusting, and holds his allies in high esteem even if he seems emotionally frigid. He has great faith in Ashe's judgement, and tells Vaan that he can have the Strahl, Balthier's precious airship, if he doesn't survive. When this trust is misplaced, it seems to wound him very deeply. In regards to his father, who had become a slave to the nethecite, Balthier wanted to believe more than anything that he could have and should have been able to save and redeem him. If asked, and if he actually gave a straight answer and not a charming deflection, Balthier would say that he'd lost his father many years ago, long before his actual death. But he still mourns the man, and always held out hope that he would somehow show up, win his father over, and everything would somehow work out. He craved confirmation that he was more important to Dr. Cid than his precious nethecite, but instead the last words he shared with his father were impersonal and harsh without any recognition of him as a son.
When it comes down to do or die, Balthier can be daring and bold. He never loses that calculating edge, but he will put himself at great personal risk for others if it's necessary. He stands by his new friends even when he realizes that he's managed to get himself in over his head, despite that all illusions of being handsomely rewarded for his participation had been abandoned. Unlike some of the others, Balthier was always free to leave. Being a criminal on the run wasn't a new experience for him, and the Strahl was always in his possession even if they weren't using it. Instead, he opted to stay and help secure some kind of political stability and free the world from that which killed his father. Over the course of the adventure, he comes to terms with the fact that this decision might cost him his life.
Strengths: Balthier is a very intelligent man, and routinely shows himself to be observant and quick witted. He figures out who Ashe is long before she admits it, and suspects Larsa as well. When politics and intrigue are afoot, Balthier is often the one to figure out what's going on and share it with the rest of the group. Furthermore, he's a skilled enough thief to have built up a significant international bounty, and for the first part of the game he's being pursued by a group of particularly vicious bounty hunters that the party isn't strong enough to enter combat with. With Fran's assistance, he breaks into a heavily guarded palace, although he's foiled due to an attack on the fete by the Dalmascan insurgence. Balthier is also a skilled pilot and extremely technologically gifted, having kept the Strahl, his airship, in working order. It's also presumable that as the primary wielder of firearms in the party, he cares for those as well. Near the end of the game, Balthier almost single handedly repairs a floundering sky fortress, managing to redirect it away from a population center before the system gave out entirely.
In stressful situations, such as the one above, Balthier maintains his cool head. He never panics, and remains calm even when faced with imprisonment, potential death, and emotional distress. Even as his father is dying and isn't even sane enough to acknowledge his son, Balthier only wavers slightly. He otherwise remains composed. This demeanor may be a little emotionally stunted, but it makes him a good candidate for being a quiet sort of leader. He often takes control of the situation when others are struggling, and steps in to give commands until someone louder or higher ranking recovers enough to take control. Although he can't charm everyone, Balthier is polite and charismatic, and has a good record for winning over the other members. Vaan quickly idolizes him, and even Ashe who had every reason to distrust him eventually comes to share a kind of friendly affection and respect.
In combat, Balthier favors firearms and explosives, although he can be equipped with other weapons. He's by far the best with the former, and so it can be said that he's an excellent shot and knows his fantasy medieval demolitions. He's primarily a thief, which means speed over strength. Although he prefers wild heists and treasure hunting, he's an accomplished pickpocket as well. He might also consider his flair for dramatic timing to be a strength.
Weaknesses: Balthier is in many ways a coward. While he's not going to get spooked by monsters and tomb raiding, his natural reaction is to run away from his problems. He abandoned his father when he was going insane, and would later run and hide from the friends he had saved the world with. When things become too difficult or he becomes too miserable, Balthier would rather leave than stay to fix it. He's so emotionally restrained that he might even come off as emotionally stunted. The same example above, where he shows only the mildest reaction to his father's death, is an example of this shortcoming as much as it is his ability to remain steady under emotional distress. Although he was hurting badly, he wasn't able to show it. Balthier is rather poor at expressing his emotions, and he's private to the point of being standoffish. It's unlikely that he'd willingly address anything bothering him if there's an option to simply walk away from the issue and wait for it to work itself out. It's a poor method for dealing with his problems, and is perhaps a reflection of his age combined with his unfortunate early life.
Balthier's arrogance can also be grating. While his confidence is sometimes charming and magnetic, often times it's also difficult and annoying. He's cynically unimpressed by the struggles of others, and while he may ultimately do the right thing, his attitude doesn't inspire trust. Balthier is simply not very sincere, and every other thing he says is a dry joke, while the rest sounds superior and exasperated with his company. Genuine moments with Balthier are few and far between.
Although he's generally a very practical man, there are some vestiges of his pampered life that haven't totally left him. Balthier is extremely vain, if his well groomed appearance is any indication. He also complains routinely about getting his clothes dirty, needing a change of clothes, wanting a bath, etc. Hygiene is rather high on his list of concerns, as is keeping himself in moderate comfort. He's monetarily motivated in most cases, and even when doing the right thing, he's not afraid to try and make a profit off it.
Lastly, Balthier is a poor hand-to-hand fighter, and only a mediocre mage. While he can be equipped with blades and such, doing so will cause him to lag behind his companions in battle. It's therefore reasonable to assume that if any short range warrior caught up with him, it would be a quick, bloody fight and Balthier would not be on the winning side.