OOC Info
Appearance
Snow is gigantic. He's about 6'7" but he's proportioned in such a way that he doesn't look particularly tall until you're standing next to him. Adult women in game barely make it up to his shoulder, while adult men go just a little past that. He has shoulder length, scraggly blond hair, most of which is usually covered by a black bandana. Add to this blond beard stubble on his chin and most of his jaw, and he basically looks like a bum. He's dressed kind of like a bum, too with a faded and worn, beige trenchcoat, a barely zippered vest, motorcycle gloves, baggy cargo pants, and dirty army boots. He can also be seen wearing two ornate necklaces. One has the pendent of a cat, the symbol of NORA. The second is an elaborate engagement necklace. Gruff look aside, he can almost always be seen with a massive grin smeared across his face, a staple for the character.
Personality
Snow actually doesn't come off as a particularly deep character, especially at first. He's a big guy with a big grin and a big ego, even when the situation is at its bleakest. Snow emits absolute confidence in both his body language and words, so much so he comes off as exceedingly arrogant. He tends to try taking charge of situations, working more as a leader than a follower (though he can follow when need be). This assertive attitude makes him seem pushy and even more over confident, like he doesn't think anyone but himself could do a decent job. To make matters worse, he proclaims himself "a hero" at every given opportunity, which makes him come off as incredibly shallow, personality-wise. Some characters even blatantly say their first impression of Snow was that he was just all talk.
The best way for one to understand Snow's mentality is to think of him as a child. Snow sees things on incredibly black and white terms. Everything is categorized as good or bad, righteous or evil, something to protect or something to destroy. Gray areas don't factor into his mind much and he often seems astonished when such possibilities are brought up. It's for this reason Snow seems to assume everyone is his friend, often treating complete strangers like they've been best buddies forever. They're the good guys, after all. Usually, people/things stay in these categories of good and bad unless something very big changes that. (Hell, there was even a moment in game one of the party members tries to kill Snow, and never for a second did he seem resentful or wary of this fact. So apparently, it takes more than that.)
Consequentially, Snow is incredibly loyal to those he cares about, even when the feeling is very obviously not mutual. As an orphan, he has a very loose concept of family and home, and so considers those he cares most for as a family of sorts. It’s this dedication to filial ties that make him turn the other cheek so easily even when he’s hit, attacked, ridiculed, and mocked. An example of this immense loyalty would be that which he has for his fiancée, Serah. He loves her wholly and completely, the kind of love and dedication that can never really exist outside fairy tales (so much so, I think characters doubt its legitimacy). In fact, everything he does over the course of the game is ultimately for this girl’s sake.
Also like a child, he dictates many of his actions on what one is "supposed" to do. He's a man, so he's supposed to be strong; he's supposed to protect people. If he loves someone, he's supposed to treat them well, marry them, have a big family with them, support them. Contrary to how this sounds, however, this isn't an act in any way, shape, or form: He actually does want to do these things. It's simply based on an outside perspective rather than his own. It seems he's subconsciously integrated the expectations he assumes others would have into his individual desires. So the basis for many of his actions equate to, "Oh, so this is what a guy should do/want in this situation? Well, okay then!"
It's in this that people feel Snow is all talk and no action. It's hard to take someone seriously when they say they're going protect everyone or save the world or stop anything bad from happening to anyone. He comes across as overly idealistic, usually proclaiming monstrous, overambitious goals for himself. However, when Snow says he's going to do something, he really is going to do everything in his power to do it. He's just too short-sighted to think up details. So he's the type of guy who really would run into a burning building to save someone but would never stop to consider how he's supposed to find said person exactly or how they'd get out of there in one piece.
It’s tempting to label this an "act now, think later" mentality, but he doesn't much follow up on the "think later" part. He is the epitome of spontaneity, tending to rush into situations or coming up with goals with absolutely no forethought or consideration of consequences, backlash, or backup plans. Failure doesn't even factor into his mind, so when something goes incredibly wrong, he finds himself at a complete loss, which can often make matters worse.
His plans usually consist of "go out and wing it." Snow actually works very well under this type of mentality, simply acting as the situation calls it with the boundless flexibility of water (as he was named). His assumption is that if he works toward a goal, he'll either figure out how to accomplish it midway or an opportunity will open up in time for him to do it. "Keep our eyes on the goal, and we'll figure something out," as he's said in game.
The core of Snow's strength stems entirely around these concepts of belief and faith. Snow does not do anything halfway: when he believes in something/someone, he believes it with absolutely every fiber of his being. There is no room for doubt. Ever. Snow is fully convinced that as long as he believes he can do something, he can definitely do it. No matter how stupid or idealistic or unlikely it may seem. So long as his mind is focused on achieving that goal, it'll get done. This concept goes for others as well. As long as they maintain faith in themselves, as long as they believe what they are doing is right and can definitely be pulled off, they can and will do it.
It's for this reason Snow's main priority in a group is to keep spirits high. He does everything in his power to try assuring those he's with that everything will be fine, that they're in good hands, that everything will work itself out if they just keep going. In fact, he tries a little too hard and usually ends up irritating everyone around him. What he hopes will be inspiring or reassuring just comes off as bravado and naivety ... more so with his tendency to act without plans.
The truth of the matter is Snow does experience doubt (even if everything about him dictates otherwise). Doubt, however, is a form of weakness. If he allows himself to second guess actions or thoughts, he won't have the drive needed to pull it off. It's for this reason that he immediately beats back any wisps of doubt that might enter his mind. This is another reason he tends to jump into situations quickly: It allows him little time to second guess himself. He often repeats himself a lot, trying to convince himself and everyone around him that what he is saying is the truth. Should anyone argue with him, he proves to be incredibly stubborn. He will argue back vehemently even if he has little to substantiate his point. What bits of proof and hope he can find, he will clasp onto with an iron grasp and will never let those go. This also means he’s willing to grasp at straws. He’ll sometimes form entire conclusions based on an assumption he pulled from basically nowhere.
The only way to make him release his conviction is to present him with something concrete, indisputable, to prove his belief wrong. However, once his faith has been shattered, Snow completely crumbles psychologically. He becomes quiet, lost, and listless. Without that drive, what reason does he have to continue on? How can he believe anything anymore? When this happened in game, he was actually able to bounce back and regain his hope, choosing to hold onto a different ideal entirely in order to keep himself going. This, however, was through the aid of those around him. If left to his own devices, he may have very well fallen into complete despair. He needs the support of his friends and family to keep him going in these instances as he’s not actually as strong as he tries to believe he is.
Another aspect Snow tends to keep buried behind lock and key is an immense amount of guilt. At the beginning of the game, Snow led a large amount of civilians and NORA members (who are mostly teenagers) to what would be their grave. He was forced to watch as people fell to their death and was unable to save the person he had right there in front of him. This is a sense of helplessness he absolutely despises feeling and is utterly terrified of. He feels horrible for having placed those people in danger and was unable to protect them as he’d sworn to do. However, he bit back this guilt and shoved it from his mind, using everything else around him to distract himself from it.
He’s currently not at the point in canon in which he’s forced to admit his responsibility or face his guilt head on, however, it’s obvious this guilt is still lingering in the back of his mind the whole game. There are times when Hope or other characters bring up “more” innocents dying, and he’ll kind of glance down momentarily and try to brush it off as something they can’t take responsibility for. Later in the game, he expresses how horrible he really feels about his guilt. He states that he has no idea what the heck someone’s even supposed to say or do to make up for something like that, so he thought it was better not to say or do anything until he could think of an answer, until he could think of just the right way to make up for it. But he admits that’s only an excuse he was using to escape responsibility and keep himself from being overwhelmed by guilt. Since he hasn’t reached this point from where I’m taking him, this is how he’ll continue to deal with guilt in game.
Snow is incredibly susceptible to emotions and emotional extremes. In fact, despite the optimistic behavior, he’s probably the most emotionally sensitive character in the game, very much like a child would be. Again, however, he has a tendency to bite these things back and not let them surface. (In fact, the bandana he wears is very good at hiding his eyebrows, and his eyes on some occasions, and hides his subtler facial expressions unless one is looking for it). So these instances are illustrated more with facial expressions and body language than quotes. When unsure, he has a tendency to break eye contact far too quickly, sparing glances at the ground when he can’t keep it. He’s rendered speechless when caught off guard… In fact, his reaction to emotional pain or negative emotions is either to freeze up or become angry. When he becomes angry, he uses it to fuel everything and bury any other emotion he might not want to deal with. Anger makes him appear more determined and steadfast and seems to be his default response when he doesn’t know how else to react.
Speaking of body language and nuances, Snow is a bit over active, physically speaking. He uses his hands and body far too much while talking and has a tendency to pace, cross his arms, clasp his hands behind his head, place his hands on his hips, give a thumbs up, clench his fists, and wave his arms around (sometimes all in succession). As stated earlier, Snow has a tendency to grin a lot. This smile can be very genuine some times and very obviously fake other times. When faking it, he’ll just grit his teeth together and only half his mouth will actually smile. It actually looks really retarded and I’d say 90% of the time that smile pisses whoever he’s giving it to off.
History
In order to understand Snow's personal history, it's important to understand the nature of the world in which he lives. There are actually two planets involved in the story, the two orbiting near each other like the Earth and moon do. These planets, Cocoon and Pulse, are said to have been created by beings known as fal'Cie. The fal'Cie are "incomprehensible" creatures: monstrous, sentient, mostly mechanical beings who possess insurmountable power. The fal'Cie also help maintain the planet, each with their own specific job: providing electrical energy, regulating the weather, creating food and water for humans, etc. In this sense, fal'Cie are like gods, watching over people and making it so humans don't have to do anything but simply enjoy life, like a heaven of sorts.
At least, this is the case on Cocoon. Pulse is the hell contrast to the bliss of the other planet. It's said to be savage and harsh, so much so, it's thought to be impossible for humans to inhabit. Travel between planets is forbidden so nothing outside of stories is known about Pulse itself. All that is known is that it is supposedly crawling with unimaginable terrors and that the Pulse fal'Cie proclaim themselves enemies of Cocoon. These rumors regarding Pulse aren't without reason.
About 500 years ago, Pulse actually attacked Cocoon in a massive invasion campaign. Though Cocoon had technology, Pulse used horrific soldiers known as l'Cie. The l'Cie are actually humans who have been branded by the fal'Cie. People with this brand are given a small portion of the fal'Cie's magic, able to wield it on their own. The price, however, is they become slaves of the fal'Cie. Legend has it that l'Cie are given a Focus upon branding, a grand goal to achieve. The brand warps with the passage of time, and if the Focus has not been completed by the time it reaches its final stage, the person becomes a huge, soulless monster known as a Cie'th. If they do complete their Focus, they are said to turn into crystal and gain eternal life. Whether doomed as a monster or trapped as a crystal, a person's life is forfeit the moment they are branded, making a l'Cie brand the equivalent of a death sentence.
In order to combat the Pulse l'Cie, Cocoon's fal'Cie created l'Cie of their own, resulting in an all out war. Pulse finally unleashed it's greatest weapon, a powerful monster named Ragnarok. As the story goes, the war ended when a Cocoon l'Cie managed to defeat Ragnarok and thus drive Pulse's forces back down to their own planet.
Though half a millennium has passed since that time, people's fear of Pulse and another ensuing invasion continues strong. They created anti-Pulse forces (PSICOM) and banned anything related to the planet, seeing as anything with relation to Pulse could be tainted with Pulse fal'Cie magic. This ban seems to have worked over the centuries as the people of Cocoon have lived peacefully all this time.
Snow is a citizen of Cocoon, born and raised in the tourist city of Bodhum. An orphan who never knew his real parents, Snow was raised by the Sanctum (ie. the government, which I'm assuming just means he grew up in an orphanage). There, his only sense of family came from the childhood friends he'd made. When they entered their late teens, Snow and his friends started a sort of anarchy, anti-Sanctum group called NORA (which stands for No Obligations, Rules, or Authority). Though NORA is somewhat militant in nature, their goal is to help protect the citizens of Cocoon rather than create civil unrest. They view themselves as heroes, warriors of the people who aren't linked to a corrupt police force or influenced by government agendas. For the most part, NORA served as a sort of neighborhood watch for the city, providing security and fending off dangerous wildlife. Being that they never actually acted out against the government and were essentially helping protect people, the Sanctum just turned a blind eye to their actions, viewing them as basically a bunch of kids with guns.
About eight months ago, Snow met a girl named Serah and fell head-over-heels in love. He dedicated himself completely to her and the two soon became inseparable. Not everyone was happy about this, however. About twelve days before the beginning of the game, Snow finally met Serah's only family, her older sister Lightning, a Sanctum soldier who never approved of NORA or its idiot of a leader. She told Snow to forget about dating her sister, but he just laughed off the demands, figuring she would warm up to him eventually. This just made her hate him more. [Side Note: It's actually never stated how long he'd been going out with Serah; I'm only guessing based on the circumstances.]
The next day, everything would start falling apart. Unbeknownst to the citizen's of Bodhum, one of the structures left behind from the war, the Vestige, held two dormant Pulse l'Cie as well as a Pulse fal'Cie, which had gone undetected while in a sleeping state. However, all three woke up on this day. Serah, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, noticed the normally sealed Vestige door was wide open and curiously wandered in. When she did so, the fal'Cie reacted and branded her. She was given a vision of her Focus, a strange mess of images she couldn't make sense of. Her future, however, was certain. She was now doomed to either help fulfill her anti-Cocoon Focus or become a monster. Serah fell into despair and became distant with those around her as she mulled over what to do.
To save them all from grief, Serah tried to break up with Snow five days later. This was so completely random that he didn't accept the break up at all and demanded to at least be given a reason. Here, she revealed she'd been branded a l'Cie and Snow reeled with shock. Serah ran off, grief-stricken, but Snow quickly chased after her and demanded to know more about her Focus. He then swore to her that he would help her figure out her Focus and even help her complete it. Never would he allow her to turn into a Cie'th. He reassured her that the legends said those completing a Focus turned to crystal, yes, but they also gained eternal life. They wouldn't say that if it meant death or that she would be crystal forever. In the end, he managed to reassure her. The two mull over what to do while attempting to continue life normally.
Three days later, they go out to find a birthday present for Lightning. Snow snuck off at some point during this trip and bought them engagement necklaces. The next day at the annual Bodhum fireworks display, Snow proposed to Serah, again promising to stay by her side no matter what happened. She accepted, and though she was sad and scared regarding what might happen, she now had a little more hope regarding the future. Meanwhile, the Sanctum finally discovered the presence of the Pulse fal'Cie in the Vestige and quickly began plans to initiate damage control.
The next day, Snow and Serah gathered for Lightning's birthday, breaking the news regarding both the l'Cie and engagement business. Lightning, of course, thought this was all complete bullshit. After 500 years of nothing, some fal'Cie magically appeared out of nowhere and branded her sister of all people? And as a reaction to this, her moron of a boyfriend popped the question? It was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard and she figured the whole thing was made up. In anger, she stated if the l'Cie thing were really true, that would make them enemies and it would be her job to get rid of her. Horrified and heartbroken, Serah ran off. Snow argued with Lightning but she just demanded he get out of her house. Furious, he left saying that if she wasn't going to help protect her sister, he'd just do it on his own. Later that day, the news announced the presence of a Pulse fal'Cie in Bodhum, forcing Lightning to realize her mistake.
Meanwhile, Snow decided the best thing they could do would be to go back to where Serah was originally branded and try confronting the Pulse fal'Cie. Hopefully they could get some idea as to what Serah's Focus was this way. With the heightened PSICOM security, however, it didn't take very long for them to detect Serah as a l'Cie. PSICOM chased after them, not hesitating at all to use deadly force. With nowhere else to go, Snow grabbed a flying motorcycle thing and got them to their target. Having taken damage to the vehicle, Snow had Serah jump onto the building first. He was about to jump, too, when a silver liquid suddenly started wrapping itself around Serah like arms ready to pull her inside. Realizing his mistake, he tried to yank her back, but too late. The liquid pulled her in and blasted him far away and out of reach.
At this point, the government and the people went into complete freak out mode over Pulse forces on Cocoon. With a fal'Cie and l'Cie running around, extreme actions had to be taken. For fear of wide-spread fal'Cie magic contamination, every citizen in Bodhum, as well as anyone who had been in the city at the time of discovery was to be exiled from Cocoon and relocated to Pulse. The Purge, as it was called, was stated as an exile, but considering Pulse's nature, it was more of a death sentence. The truth of the Purge's nature soon became clear when soldiers didn't hesitate to open fire on these 'tainted' civilians should they be uncooperative.
This combined with Serah's disappearance was the last straw. Realizing this whole thing was just a mass execution, Snow gathered NORA's forces together and they staged their first ever anti-government campaign: Stopping The Purge and saving the Bodhum citizens. The Purge victims themselves had started rebelling against their captors as well, and soon an all out war between military forces and citizens erupted. NORA managed to work their way through the forces and reach a train of disheartened captives. Inspired by the group, many of the victims demanded they help with the effort as well. Figuring they could use the extra hands, Snow agreed and gathered up all the civilian volunteers. Among them was a woman, a mother of all things. He asked if she was sure she wanted in, but she assured him she was.
As expected, NORA was eventually overcome by the sheer might of the Sanctum military. Snow himself almost got shot due to a stupid mistake, but his life was saved by the very woman he'd hesitated to allow along. However, deciding enough was enough, the military simply bombed the bridge they'd all been fighting on, sending the civilians and members of NORA falling to their death. Snow caught himself and the woman before they could fall, but she was too injured by the blast and died in his grasp. Her last words to him were a plea: "Please, get him home." Unfortunately, he couldn't hold onto her for much longer and she slipped from his grasp and into the abyss. The bridge then collapsed completely, and Snow was sent falling down as well. Somehow, however, he was able to survive, shaken but uninjured.
Snow managed to find one member of NORA alive and they tried to make sense of the whole mess. Snow was still rocked by the horror of the massacre as well as the death of the woman. As he tried figuring out which of the refugees she could have been referring to, a massive building could be seen rising above their heads. It was the Vestige, the place the Pulse fal'Cie slumbered. The Sanctum were taking the whole thing and were either planning to dispose of it or transport it to Pulse. Either way, Serah was still in there, and Snow needed to get her out before then. He still wasn't sure what to do about the woman's request, so he simply figured, "If you don't know who to save, just save them all." They quickly checked up on the refugees. Assured everyone was fine, Snow was satisfied and headed off to get Serah.
While wandering around the Vestige, Snow ran into two kids he recognized from the Purge refugee mass. He had no idea how the heck they had gotten in there, but he figured he couldn't just let them wander around on their own, so he had them tag along as he searched for Serah. Finally, he found her along with Lightning and another man who had found her first, and he immediately ran over to her as well. She seemed drained, but happy to see them all. She haltingly asked them all to save Cocoon, and in that moment, she turned to crystal, shedding a single crystal tear which fell into Snow's hand.
Lightning was distraught, but Snow was sure Serah was not dead: She was simply in a crystal state until she could be revived (like a coma). He swore to do everything he could to bring her back, and the only way to do that would be to face the fal'Cie who branded her and reason with it. Though everyone but Snow thought this is a stupid plan, they went along with him anyway. Upon finding the fal'Cie, Snow demanded it change Serah back since she completed her Focus, even offering himself in exchange for her, but it didn't respond. Lightning felt this was completely useless and simply attacked the thing, which finally woke it up. After fighting the fal'Cie, they were all suddenly sent into a catatonic state in another dimension of sorts. It was then the fal'Cie grasped onto them all and branded them. The structure and themselves all fell into a giant lake of sorts, the force of the fal'Cie's death turning the water and all land around them into a crystal wasteland.
They all woke up some time later, and began freaking out over the l'Cie brands. They began discussing their potential Focus as well as what to do. They had all had the same Focus vision, evidently: a mess of explosions and limbs and bubbles which made no sense at all. Snow, however, was resolved. Obviously, their Focus was to "save Cocoon." Serah had told them as much; in fact, it had been her Focus to tell them theirs. He was now sure Serah had never been an enemy of Cocoon, and neither were they. Furthermore, how the hell could they have survived that massive fall they'd just gone through? The only explanation was Serah had saved them: She was still alive and was trying to help them all. Everyone else just figured he was nuts and was giving himself in to far too much wishful thinking.
As they wandered around, they came across Serah's still-crystallized body, which had now fused to the crystal landscape. Snow feverishly tried to dig her free (not easy seeing as it was all crystal), but Lightning used the opportunity to mentally wish her sister farewell and turned to leave. Snow was pissed Lightning would choose to leave her sister behind, and the two ended up arguing over whether she was still alive or not, whether she can be revived or not, and whether they should keep moving or not. Lightning then pointed out Snow just kept contradicting himself. Hadn't he been all enthusiastic about saving the world a few moments ago? Now he wanted to give up on that to stay hanging around there just to dig her sister's dead body out of the ground? Snow was an idiot and was nothing but talk. Snow was speechless at first but just accepted the words, stating that he would do both: save Serah and protect Cocoon. Exasperated, Lightning moved on with the rest of the group, leaving Snow behind to dig Serah out by himself.
There he would stay for an unspecified amount of hours trying to dig Serah's body out. As expected, the PSICOM pursuit force found him and engaged him. He fought them off, trying desperately to protect Serah, but there were simply too many to fight. Snow fell to his knees, defeated and distraught, but in that moment, the brand on his arm glowed and two beings were summoned forth out of nowhere: two female figures known as the Shiva Sisters. They dispatched the soldiers as if they were nothing, then turned on Snow. (This fight with the Shiva Sister is actually brimming with symbolism regarding his relationship with Lightning and Serah, but I won't be getting into that.) He was barely able to defeat them, which was enough to impress them and allow him to summon them at will.
Snow fell to the ground, exhausted, but yet more Sanctum troops arrived. These people, however, were headed by a woman who bore a l'Cie brand of her own. She knocked him out, but ordered everyone treat him carefully. Both he and Serah's body were taken onto the Sanctum ship. Though Snow remained their prisoner, the woman, Fang, spoke to him rather casually. It seemed they were a Sanctum force with their own agenda regarding the l'Cie. Snow was introduced to their leader, a man named Cid Raines who tried befriending him, but Snow remained stubborn. Raines explained the government were still pursuing Snow's friends and once they'd been captured, a public execution would be held. If Snow wanted to save them, he would have to help them find the others. In the end, Snow was forced to cooperate with their efforts.
As Lightning and the others continued running from their pursuit, it seemed the group was split into two at some point. By the time PSICOM got full information regarding definite whereabouts, Lightning and one of the kids (one named Hope) were the only ones spotted. As PSICOM closed in on the city the two are located, Snow and Fang rushed to the location, hoping to reach the two before military forces did.
Point Taken in Canon
I'm taking Snow from about a third of the way into the game (which is where I left off in the history). This is right before he and Fang meet up with Lightning and Hope again. There are about two massive turning points in the game for Snow, personality-wise, and this would be before either of them occur. At this point, he's still his normal self and hasn't had to face massive concepts of guilt, doubt, and other such things. These are things I'd like to have developed in game rather than having pre-established. This is also right before Snow is given the order to "keep Hope safe," so should we ever get a Hope in the game, Snow won't be on him 24/7.
Powers
As a l'Cie, Snow's brand allows him some magic ability. As his name would indicate, his specialty is ice and water magic. He also has the ability to summon the Shiva Sisters, who help by attacking foes with powerful ice spells and healing Snow, respectively. The two sisters can also transform into a motorcycle which Snow can ride (seriously) and use to continue assaulting foes.
Snow's three specialty categories are Commando, Ravager, and Sentinel, which means his l'Cie abilities not only grant him the ability to wield ice magic, but help him perform physical feats as well. His main specialty, Sentinel, allows him to provoke foes and guard himself, allowing him to withstand an impressive amount of enemy assault with little damage. Snow is an extremely strong guy, even without magic, but his strength borders on superhuman after a certain point in the game. He actually wears an armband on his left bicep which uses a specific technology to help amplify his strength to these levels. The armband in addition to l'Cie ability means he's far, far more effective as a physical fighter than as a magic wielding one. His magic strength is moderate at best.
[Side Note: I've actually heard mixed things regarding this strength amplifying technology. Some people say it's actually his coat, not the armband, that makes him stronger. I'm with the other side in believing it's the armband and that changing the band changes the runes on his coat, thus giving the coat a different appearance. I don't think it really matters, but I'm addressing it anyway.]
Power Limits
Snow will retain his l'Cie tattoo, but his l'Cie power will be almost completely gone. He will be unable to summon the Shiva Sisters in any way. As for ice magic, I'm thinking possibly one ice spell per night. This is more for absolute emergency use, since he uses physical force 90% of the time. This one spell will be the weakest ice attack in the game, Blizzard, and it should be noted that his magic strength isn't impressive to begin with. So unless it's small like a bat or something, I don't think anyone will expect it'll take a monster out on its own. The tattoo will glow blue and he will shoot the attack from his hand. The Brand on his arm will hurt and there will be a sensation of built up restrained power, like the Brand's magic is literally trying to come out more, but the restrictions of the place leave it with nowhere to go, so it's backlashing on him. It'll ache after the spell has been cast, though not unbearably so, and after the pain has subsided (at least one turn), he'll feel a little exhausted.
Should he attempt the spell again, try to perform any other spells, or try to summon, he'll feel the build up of power like he's about to cast the spell, but the backlash will suddenly hit him 10x worse than before and will be almost unbearably painful. It'll definitely keep him from casting more spells/the spells that are restricted. I also want to note that the use of his left arm (the arm the Brand is on) is prevalent in magic use. In other words, if he hurts his left arm to the point of being unable to raise it and exert some kind of force with it, he probably won't be able to use magic.
He will not have his armband, so his physical abilities will not be of superhuman levels any more. He's obscenely strong and resilient without it anyway, so he'll survive. (According to wiki, he's supposedly able to run full speed while carrying two people. He's never done so in the game, so I don't really... know where they're getting that from, but he's strong enough that doing so with one person isn't even an issue.) Most of his specialty moves from Commando and Sentinel are all things he can do perfectly without powers anyway (like provoking an enemy to attack him). Guarding abilities won't be of super proportions either, so although he can still take a good amount of hits, withstanding the amount of abuse he can in game is impossible.
Elaboration on Blizzard: I personally view Blizzard as a kind of energy shot. It's a ball of energy just a bit bigger than a fist that's shot out in a manner that's closer to him throwing a ball. So it isn't immensely big or anything. I would imagine getting hit by Blizzard would be the equivalent of being struck by a very, very strong punch. But since it has ice properties, it's kind of like a really COLD punch.
For the sake of understanding the amount of force it would likely be able to do, a child or smaller framed person might get knocked off their feet and onto their back from it, while a bigger framed individual would likely be forced to stumble back from it. This is why smaller monsters like a bat or a roach would likely be knocked away from their target/hurt to some degree, while bigger monsters would basically react as they would to a blunt force of that level.
Since Snow's a physical fighter anyway, the main purpose of using Blizzard would be to attack from a distance (ie. across the room, max), attack something in the air and out of reach, or trying to attack a swarm of something to get them to back off. I'm working under the assumption that the actual ice factor of it wouldn't do much unless it was some kind of cold-blooded animal or Heat in demon form or something else susceptible to cold. Anything not particularly weak to cold probably wouldn't suffer anything special due to the ice effect.
Other Abilities
Nothing that would be valid within damned-verse. Snow knows how to shoot and aim a gun with high enough accuracy and can use grenades properly. He can also operate and drive the many futuristic machines needed to get around, but he's no expert with machinery. I suppose it's worth saying that he does have really good fist fighting ability, though it's less actual technique and more raw physical power. That aside, he's basically just a kid who has no other training going for him. Poor guy.
Side Note
Snow's l'Cie Brand is going to be partially active. As stated in the third paragraph of the History, the l'Cie Brand tends to change over time, going through several phases before reaching the final stage (after which, time is up and the person becomes a monster). In Landel's, the Brand will not change with the passage of time. However, as in canon, the brand can and will shift to a new stage should he suffer some kind of extreme emotional or physical trauma. M-U sessions would do that as would something that really breaks him down psychologically. This really has no effect on the character except to have him look at it and go "Oh shit...." No matter how much trauma he goes through, the Brand will never reach the final stage, so he won't be turning into a monster in the institute. But he'll think otherwise.
Snow is gigantic. He's about 6'7" but he's proportioned in such a way that he doesn't look particularly tall until you're standing next to him. Adult women in game barely make it up to his shoulder, while adult men go just a little past that. He has shoulder length, scraggly blond hair, most of which is usually covered by a black bandana. Add to this blond beard stubble on his chin and most of his jaw, and he basically looks like a bum. He's dressed kind of like a bum, too with a faded and worn, beige trenchcoat, a barely zippered vest, motorcycle gloves, baggy cargo pants, and dirty army boots. He can also be seen wearing two ornate necklaces. One has the pendent of a cat, the symbol of NORA. The second is an elaborate engagement necklace. Gruff look aside, he can almost always be seen with a massive grin smeared across his face, a staple for the character.
Personality
Snow actually doesn't come off as a particularly deep character, especially at first. He's a big guy with a big grin and a big ego, even when the situation is at its bleakest. Snow emits absolute confidence in both his body language and words, so much so he comes off as exceedingly arrogant. He tends to try taking charge of situations, working more as a leader than a follower (though he can follow when need be). This assertive attitude makes him seem pushy and even more over confident, like he doesn't think anyone but himself could do a decent job. To make matters worse, he proclaims himself "a hero" at every given opportunity, which makes him come off as incredibly shallow, personality-wise. Some characters even blatantly say their first impression of Snow was that he was just all talk.
The best way for one to understand Snow's mentality is to think of him as a child. Snow sees things on incredibly black and white terms. Everything is categorized as good or bad, righteous or evil, something to protect or something to destroy. Gray areas don't factor into his mind much and he often seems astonished when such possibilities are brought up. It's for this reason Snow seems to assume everyone is his friend, often treating complete strangers like they've been best buddies forever. They're the good guys, after all. Usually, people/things stay in these categories of good and bad unless something very big changes that. (Hell, there was even a moment in game one of the party members tries to kill Snow, and never for a second did he seem resentful or wary of this fact. So apparently, it takes more than that.)
Consequentially, Snow is incredibly loyal to those he cares about, even when the feeling is very obviously not mutual. As an orphan, he has a very loose concept of family and home, and so considers those he cares most for as a family of sorts. It’s this dedication to filial ties that make him turn the other cheek so easily even when he’s hit, attacked, ridiculed, and mocked. An example of this immense loyalty would be that which he has for his fiancée, Serah. He loves her wholly and completely, the kind of love and dedication that can never really exist outside fairy tales (so much so, I think characters doubt its legitimacy). In fact, everything he does over the course of the game is ultimately for this girl’s sake.
Also like a child, he dictates many of his actions on what one is "supposed" to do. He's a man, so he's supposed to be strong; he's supposed to protect people. If he loves someone, he's supposed to treat them well, marry them, have a big family with them, support them. Contrary to how this sounds, however, this isn't an act in any way, shape, or form: He actually does want to do these things. It's simply based on an outside perspective rather than his own. It seems he's subconsciously integrated the expectations he assumes others would have into his individual desires. So the basis for many of his actions equate to, "Oh, so this is what a guy should do/want in this situation? Well, okay then!"
It's in this that people feel Snow is all talk and no action. It's hard to take someone seriously when they say they're going protect everyone or save the world or stop anything bad from happening to anyone. He comes across as overly idealistic, usually proclaiming monstrous, overambitious goals for himself. However, when Snow says he's going to do something, he really is going to do everything in his power to do it. He's just too short-sighted to think up details. So he's the type of guy who really would run into a burning building to save someone but would never stop to consider how he's supposed to find said person exactly or how they'd get out of there in one piece.
It’s tempting to label this an "act now, think later" mentality, but he doesn't much follow up on the "think later" part. He is the epitome of spontaneity, tending to rush into situations or coming up with goals with absolutely no forethought or consideration of consequences, backlash, or backup plans. Failure doesn't even factor into his mind, so when something goes incredibly wrong, he finds himself at a complete loss, which can often make matters worse.
His plans usually consist of "go out and wing it." Snow actually works very well under this type of mentality, simply acting as the situation calls it with the boundless flexibility of water (as he was named). His assumption is that if he works toward a goal, he'll either figure out how to accomplish it midway or an opportunity will open up in time for him to do it. "Keep our eyes on the goal, and we'll figure something out," as he's said in game.
The core of Snow's strength stems entirely around these concepts of belief and faith. Snow does not do anything halfway: when he believes in something/someone, he believes it with absolutely every fiber of his being. There is no room for doubt. Ever. Snow is fully convinced that as long as he believes he can do something, he can definitely do it. No matter how stupid or idealistic or unlikely it may seem. So long as his mind is focused on achieving that goal, it'll get done. This concept goes for others as well. As long as they maintain faith in themselves, as long as they believe what they are doing is right and can definitely be pulled off, they can and will do it.
It's for this reason Snow's main priority in a group is to keep spirits high. He does everything in his power to try assuring those he's with that everything will be fine, that they're in good hands, that everything will work itself out if they just keep going. In fact, he tries a little too hard and usually ends up irritating everyone around him. What he hopes will be inspiring or reassuring just comes off as bravado and naivety ... more so with his tendency to act without plans.
The truth of the matter is Snow does experience doubt (even if everything about him dictates otherwise). Doubt, however, is a form of weakness. If he allows himself to second guess actions or thoughts, he won't have the drive needed to pull it off. It's for this reason that he immediately beats back any wisps of doubt that might enter his mind. This is another reason he tends to jump into situations quickly: It allows him little time to second guess himself. He often repeats himself a lot, trying to convince himself and everyone around him that what he is saying is the truth. Should anyone argue with him, he proves to be incredibly stubborn. He will argue back vehemently even if he has little to substantiate his point. What bits of proof and hope he can find, he will clasp onto with an iron grasp and will never let those go. This also means he’s willing to grasp at straws. He’ll sometimes form entire conclusions based on an assumption he pulled from basically nowhere.
The only way to make him release his conviction is to present him with something concrete, indisputable, to prove his belief wrong. However, once his faith has been shattered, Snow completely crumbles psychologically. He becomes quiet, lost, and listless. Without that drive, what reason does he have to continue on? How can he believe anything anymore? When this happened in game, he was actually able to bounce back and regain his hope, choosing to hold onto a different ideal entirely in order to keep himself going. This, however, was through the aid of those around him. If left to his own devices, he may have very well fallen into complete despair. He needs the support of his friends and family to keep him going in these instances as he’s not actually as strong as he tries to believe he is.
Another aspect Snow tends to keep buried behind lock and key is an immense amount of guilt. At the beginning of the game, Snow led a large amount of civilians and NORA members (who are mostly teenagers) to what would be their grave. He was forced to watch as people fell to their death and was unable to save the person he had right there in front of him. This is a sense of helplessness he absolutely despises feeling and is utterly terrified of. He feels horrible for having placed those people in danger and was unable to protect them as he’d sworn to do. However, he bit back this guilt and shoved it from his mind, using everything else around him to distract himself from it.
He’s currently not at the point in canon in which he’s forced to admit his responsibility or face his guilt head on, however, it’s obvious this guilt is still lingering in the back of his mind the whole game. There are times when Hope or other characters bring up “more” innocents dying, and he’ll kind of glance down momentarily and try to brush it off as something they can’t take responsibility for. Later in the game, he expresses how horrible he really feels about his guilt. He states that he has no idea what the heck someone’s even supposed to say or do to make up for something like that, so he thought it was better not to say or do anything until he could think of an answer, until he could think of just the right way to make up for it. But he admits that’s only an excuse he was using to escape responsibility and keep himself from being overwhelmed by guilt. Since he hasn’t reached this point from where I’m taking him, this is how he’ll continue to deal with guilt in game.
Snow is incredibly susceptible to emotions and emotional extremes. In fact, despite the optimistic behavior, he’s probably the most emotionally sensitive character in the game, very much like a child would be. Again, however, he has a tendency to bite these things back and not let them surface. (In fact, the bandana he wears is very good at hiding his eyebrows, and his eyes on some occasions, and hides his subtler facial expressions unless one is looking for it). So these instances are illustrated more with facial expressions and body language than quotes. When unsure, he has a tendency to break eye contact far too quickly, sparing glances at the ground when he can’t keep it. He’s rendered speechless when caught off guard… In fact, his reaction to emotional pain or negative emotions is either to freeze up or become angry. When he becomes angry, he uses it to fuel everything and bury any other emotion he might not want to deal with. Anger makes him appear more determined and steadfast and seems to be his default response when he doesn’t know how else to react.
Speaking of body language and nuances, Snow is a bit over active, physically speaking. He uses his hands and body far too much while talking and has a tendency to pace, cross his arms, clasp his hands behind his head, place his hands on his hips, give a thumbs up, clench his fists, and wave his arms around (sometimes all in succession). As stated earlier, Snow has a tendency to grin a lot. This smile can be very genuine some times and very obviously fake other times. When faking it, he’ll just grit his teeth together and only half his mouth will actually smile. It actually looks really retarded and I’d say 90% of the time that smile pisses whoever he’s giving it to off.
History
In order to understand Snow's personal history, it's important to understand the nature of the world in which he lives. There are actually two planets involved in the story, the two orbiting near each other like the Earth and moon do. These planets, Cocoon and Pulse, are said to have been created by beings known as fal'Cie. The fal'Cie are "incomprehensible" creatures: monstrous, sentient, mostly mechanical beings who possess insurmountable power. The fal'Cie also help maintain the planet, each with their own specific job: providing electrical energy, regulating the weather, creating food and water for humans, etc. In this sense, fal'Cie are like gods, watching over people and making it so humans don't have to do anything but simply enjoy life, like a heaven of sorts.
At least, this is the case on Cocoon. Pulse is the hell contrast to the bliss of the other planet. It's said to be savage and harsh, so much so, it's thought to be impossible for humans to inhabit. Travel between planets is forbidden so nothing outside of stories is known about Pulse itself. All that is known is that it is supposedly crawling with unimaginable terrors and that the Pulse fal'Cie proclaim themselves enemies of Cocoon. These rumors regarding Pulse aren't without reason.
About 500 years ago, Pulse actually attacked Cocoon in a massive invasion campaign. Though Cocoon had technology, Pulse used horrific soldiers known as l'Cie. The l'Cie are actually humans who have been branded by the fal'Cie. People with this brand are given a small portion of the fal'Cie's magic, able to wield it on their own. The price, however, is they become slaves of the fal'Cie. Legend has it that l'Cie are given a Focus upon branding, a grand goal to achieve. The brand warps with the passage of time, and if the Focus has not been completed by the time it reaches its final stage, the person becomes a huge, soulless monster known as a Cie'th. If they do complete their Focus, they are said to turn into crystal and gain eternal life. Whether doomed as a monster or trapped as a crystal, a person's life is forfeit the moment they are branded, making a l'Cie brand the equivalent of a death sentence.
In order to combat the Pulse l'Cie, Cocoon's fal'Cie created l'Cie of their own, resulting in an all out war. Pulse finally unleashed it's greatest weapon, a powerful monster named Ragnarok. As the story goes, the war ended when a Cocoon l'Cie managed to defeat Ragnarok and thus drive Pulse's forces back down to their own planet.
Though half a millennium has passed since that time, people's fear of Pulse and another ensuing invasion continues strong. They created anti-Pulse forces (PSICOM) and banned anything related to the planet, seeing as anything with relation to Pulse could be tainted with Pulse fal'Cie magic. This ban seems to have worked over the centuries as the people of Cocoon have lived peacefully all this time.
Snow is a citizen of Cocoon, born and raised in the tourist city of Bodhum. An orphan who never knew his real parents, Snow was raised by the Sanctum (ie. the government, which I'm assuming just means he grew up in an orphanage). There, his only sense of family came from the childhood friends he'd made. When they entered their late teens, Snow and his friends started a sort of anarchy, anti-Sanctum group called NORA (which stands for No Obligations, Rules, or Authority). Though NORA is somewhat militant in nature, their goal is to help protect the citizens of Cocoon rather than create civil unrest. They view themselves as heroes, warriors of the people who aren't linked to a corrupt police force or influenced by government agendas. For the most part, NORA served as a sort of neighborhood watch for the city, providing security and fending off dangerous wildlife. Being that they never actually acted out against the government and were essentially helping protect people, the Sanctum just turned a blind eye to their actions, viewing them as basically a bunch of kids with guns.
About eight months ago, Snow met a girl named Serah and fell head-over-heels in love. He dedicated himself completely to her and the two soon became inseparable. Not everyone was happy about this, however. About twelve days before the beginning of the game, Snow finally met Serah's only family, her older sister Lightning, a Sanctum soldier who never approved of NORA or its idiot of a leader. She told Snow to forget about dating her sister, but he just laughed off the demands, figuring she would warm up to him eventually. This just made her hate him more. [Side Note: It's actually never stated how long he'd been going out with Serah; I'm only guessing based on the circumstances.]
The next day, everything would start falling apart. Unbeknownst to the citizen's of Bodhum, one of the structures left behind from the war, the Vestige, held two dormant Pulse l'Cie as well as a Pulse fal'Cie, which had gone undetected while in a sleeping state. However, all three woke up on this day. Serah, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, noticed the normally sealed Vestige door was wide open and curiously wandered in. When she did so, the fal'Cie reacted and branded her. She was given a vision of her Focus, a strange mess of images she couldn't make sense of. Her future, however, was certain. She was now doomed to either help fulfill her anti-Cocoon Focus or become a monster. Serah fell into despair and became distant with those around her as she mulled over what to do.
To save them all from grief, Serah tried to break up with Snow five days later. This was so completely random that he didn't accept the break up at all and demanded to at least be given a reason. Here, she revealed she'd been branded a l'Cie and Snow reeled with shock. Serah ran off, grief-stricken, but Snow quickly chased after her and demanded to know more about her Focus. He then swore to her that he would help her figure out her Focus and even help her complete it. Never would he allow her to turn into a Cie'th. He reassured her that the legends said those completing a Focus turned to crystal, yes, but they also gained eternal life. They wouldn't say that if it meant death or that she would be crystal forever. In the end, he managed to reassure her. The two mull over what to do while attempting to continue life normally.
Three days later, they go out to find a birthday present for Lightning. Snow snuck off at some point during this trip and bought them engagement necklaces. The next day at the annual Bodhum fireworks display, Snow proposed to Serah, again promising to stay by her side no matter what happened. She accepted, and though she was sad and scared regarding what might happen, she now had a little more hope regarding the future. Meanwhile, the Sanctum finally discovered the presence of the Pulse fal'Cie in the Vestige and quickly began plans to initiate damage control.
The next day, Snow and Serah gathered for Lightning's birthday, breaking the news regarding both the l'Cie and engagement business. Lightning, of course, thought this was all complete bullshit. After 500 years of nothing, some fal'Cie magically appeared out of nowhere and branded her sister of all people? And as a reaction to this, her moron of a boyfriend popped the question? It was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard and she figured the whole thing was made up. In anger, she stated if the l'Cie thing were really true, that would make them enemies and it would be her job to get rid of her. Horrified and heartbroken, Serah ran off. Snow argued with Lightning but she just demanded he get out of her house. Furious, he left saying that if she wasn't going to help protect her sister, he'd just do it on his own. Later that day, the news announced the presence of a Pulse fal'Cie in Bodhum, forcing Lightning to realize her mistake.
Meanwhile, Snow decided the best thing they could do would be to go back to where Serah was originally branded and try confronting the Pulse fal'Cie. Hopefully they could get some idea as to what Serah's Focus was this way. With the heightened PSICOM security, however, it didn't take very long for them to detect Serah as a l'Cie. PSICOM chased after them, not hesitating at all to use deadly force. With nowhere else to go, Snow grabbed a flying motorcycle thing and got them to their target. Having taken damage to the vehicle, Snow had Serah jump onto the building first. He was about to jump, too, when a silver liquid suddenly started wrapping itself around Serah like arms ready to pull her inside. Realizing his mistake, he tried to yank her back, but too late. The liquid pulled her in and blasted him far away and out of reach.
At this point, the government and the people went into complete freak out mode over Pulse forces on Cocoon. With a fal'Cie and l'Cie running around, extreme actions had to be taken. For fear of wide-spread fal'Cie magic contamination, every citizen in Bodhum, as well as anyone who had been in the city at the time of discovery was to be exiled from Cocoon and relocated to Pulse. The Purge, as it was called, was stated as an exile, but considering Pulse's nature, it was more of a death sentence. The truth of the Purge's nature soon became clear when soldiers didn't hesitate to open fire on these 'tainted' civilians should they be uncooperative.
This combined with Serah's disappearance was the last straw. Realizing this whole thing was just a mass execution, Snow gathered NORA's forces together and they staged their first ever anti-government campaign: Stopping The Purge and saving the Bodhum citizens. The Purge victims themselves had started rebelling against their captors as well, and soon an all out war between military forces and citizens erupted. NORA managed to work their way through the forces and reach a train of disheartened captives. Inspired by the group, many of the victims demanded they help with the effort as well. Figuring they could use the extra hands, Snow agreed and gathered up all the civilian volunteers. Among them was a woman, a mother of all things. He asked if she was sure she wanted in, but she assured him she was.
As expected, NORA was eventually overcome by the sheer might of the Sanctum military. Snow himself almost got shot due to a stupid mistake, but his life was saved by the very woman he'd hesitated to allow along. However, deciding enough was enough, the military simply bombed the bridge they'd all been fighting on, sending the civilians and members of NORA falling to their death. Snow caught himself and the woman before they could fall, but she was too injured by the blast and died in his grasp. Her last words to him were a plea: "Please, get him home." Unfortunately, he couldn't hold onto her for much longer and she slipped from his grasp and into the abyss. The bridge then collapsed completely, and Snow was sent falling down as well. Somehow, however, he was able to survive, shaken but uninjured.
Snow managed to find one member of NORA alive and they tried to make sense of the whole mess. Snow was still rocked by the horror of the massacre as well as the death of the woman. As he tried figuring out which of the refugees she could have been referring to, a massive building could be seen rising above their heads. It was the Vestige, the place the Pulse fal'Cie slumbered. The Sanctum were taking the whole thing and were either planning to dispose of it or transport it to Pulse. Either way, Serah was still in there, and Snow needed to get her out before then. He still wasn't sure what to do about the woman's request, so he simply figured, "If you don't know who to save, just save them all." They quickly checked up on the refugees. Assured everyone was fine, Snow was satisfied and headed off to get Serah.
While wandering around the Vestige, Snow ran into two kids he recognized from the Purge refugee mass. He had no idea how the heck they had gotten in there, but he figured he couldn't just let them wander around on their own, so he had them tag along as he searched for Serah. Finally, he found her along with Lightning and another man who had found her first, and he immediately ran over to her as well. She seemed drained, but happy to see them all. She haltingly asked them all to save Cocoon, and in that moment, she turned to crystal, shedding a single crystal tear which fell into Snow's hand.
Lightning was distraught, but Snow was sure Serah was not dead: She was simply in a crystal state until she could be revived (like a coma). He swore to do everything he could to bring her back, and the only way to do that would be to face the fal'Cie who branded her and reason with it. Though everyone but Snow thought this is a stupid plan, they went along with him anyway. Upon finding the fal'Cie, Snow demanded it change Serah back since she completed her Focus, even offering himself in exchange for her, but it didn't respond. Lightning felt this was completely useless and simply attacked the thing, which finally woke it up. After fighting the fal'Cie, they were all suddenly sent into a catatonic state in another dimension of sorts. It was then the fal'Cie grasped onto them all and branded them. The structure and themselves all fell into a giant lake of sorts, the force of the fal'Cie's death turning the water and all land around them into a crystal wasteland.
They all woke up some time later, and began freaking out over the l'Cie brands. They began discussing their potential Focus as well as what to do. They had all had the same Focus vision, evidently: a mess of explosions and limbs and bubbles which made no sense at all. Snow, however, was resolved. Obviously, their Focus was to "save Cocoon." Serah had told them as much; in fact, it had been her Focus to tell them theirs. He was now sure Serah had never been an enemy of Cocoon, and neither were they. Furthermore, how the hell could they have survived that massive fall they'd just gone through? The only explanation was Serah had saved them: She was still alive and was trying to help them all. Everyone else just figured he was nuts and was giving himself in to far too much wishful thinking.
As they wandered around, they came across Serah's still-crystallized body, which had now fused to the crystal landscape. Snow feverishly tried to dig her free (not easy seeing as it was all crystal), but Lightning used the opportunity to mentally wish her sister farewell and turned to leave. Snow was pissed Lightning would choose to leave her sister behind, and the two ended up arguing over whether she was still alive or not, whether she can be revived or not, and whether they should keep moving or not. Lightning then pointed out Snow just kept contradicting himself. Hadn't he been all enthusiastic about saving the world a few moments ago? Now he wanted to give up on that to stay hanging around there just to dig her sister's dead body out of the ground? Snow was an idiot and was nothing but talk. Snow was speechless at first but just accepted the words, stating that he would do both: save Serah and protect Cocoon. Exasperated, Lightning moved on with the rest of the group, leaving Snow behind to dig Serah out by himself.
There he would stay for an unspecified amount of hours trying to dig Serah's body out. As expected, the PSICOM pursuit force found him and engaged him. He fought them off, trying desperately to protect Serah, but there were simply too many to fight. Snow fell to his knees, defeated and distraught, but in that moment, the brand on his arm glowed and two beings were summoned forth out of nowhere: two female figures known as the Shiva Sisters. They dispatched the soldiers as if they were nothing, then turned on Snow. (This fight with the Shiva Sister is actually brimming with symbolism regarding his relationship with Lightning and Serah, but I won't be getting into that.) He was barely able to defeat them, which was enough to impress them and allow him to summon them at will.
Snow fell to the ground, exhausted, but yet more Sanctum troops arrived. These people, however, were headed by a woman who bore a l'Cie brand of her own. She knocked him out, but ordered everyone treat him carefully. Both he and Serah's body were taken onto the Sanctum ship. Though Snow remained their prisoner, the woman, Fang, spoke to him rather casually. It seemed they were a Sanctum force with their own agenda regarding the l'Cie. Snow was introduced to their leader, a man named Cid Raines who tried befriending him, but Snow remained stubborn. Raines explained the government were still pursuing Snow's friends and once they'd been captured, a public execution would be held. If Snow wanted to save them, he would have to help them find the others. In the end, Snow was forced to cooperate with their efforts.
As Lightning and the others continued running from their pursuit, it seemed the group was split into two at some point. By the time PSICOM got full information regarding definite whereabouts, Lightning and one of the kids (one named Hope) were the only ones spotted. As PSICOM closed in on the city the two are located, Snow and Fang rushed to the location, hoping to reach the two before military forces did.
Point Taken in Canon
I'm taking Snow from about a third of the way into the game (which is where I left off in the history). This is right before he and Fang meet up with Lightning and Hope again. There are about two massive turning points in the game for Snow, personality-wise, and this would be before either of them occur. At this point, he's still his normal self and hasn't had to face massive concepts of guilt, doubt, and other such things. These are things I'd like to have developed in game rather than having pre-established. This is also right before Snow is given the order to "keep Hope safe," so should we ever get a Hope in the game, Snow won't be on him 24/7.
Powers
As a l'Cie, Snow's brand allows him some magic ability. As his name would indicate, his specialty is ice and water magic. He also has the ability to summon the Shiva Sisters, who help by attacking foes with powerful ice spells and healing Snow, respectively. The two sisters can also transform into a motorcycle which Snow can ride (seriously) and use to continue assaulting foes.
Snow's three specialty categories are Commando, Ravager, and Sentinel, which means his l'Cie abilities not only grant him the ability to wield ice magic, but help him perform physical feats as well. His main specialty, Sentinel, allows him to provoke foes and guard himself, allowing him to withstand an impressive amount of enemy assault with little damage. Snow is an extremely strong guy, even without magic, but his strength borders on superhuman after a certain point in the game. He actually wears an armband on his left bicep which uses a specific technology to help amplify his strength to these levels. The armband in addition to l'Cie ability means he's far, far more effective as a physical fighter than as a magic wielding one. His magic strength is moderate at best.
[Side Note: I've actually heard mixed things regarding this strength amplifying technology. Some people say it's actually his coat, not the armband, that makes him stronger. I'm with the other side in believing it's the armband and that changing the band changes the runes on his coat, thus giving the coat a different appearance. I don't think it really matters, but I'm addressing it anyway.]
Power Limits
Snow will retain his l'Cie tattoo, but his l'Cie power will be almost completely gone. He will be unable to summon the Shiva Sisters in any way. As for ice magic, I'm thinking possibly one ice spell per night. This is more for absolute emergency use, since he uses physical force 90% of the time. This one spell will be the weakest ice attack in the game, Blizzard, and it should be noted that his magic strength isn't impressive to begin with. So unless it's small like a bat or something, I don't think anyone will expect it'll take a monster out on its own. The tattoo will glow blue and he will shoot the attack from his hand. The Brand on his arm will hurt and there will be a sensation of built up restrained power, like the Brand's magic is literally trying to come out more, but the restrictions of the place leave it with nowhere to go, so it's backlashing on him. It'll ache after the spell has been cast, though not unbearably so, and after the pain has subsided (at least one turn), he'll feel a little exhausted.
Should he attempt the spell again, try to perform any other spells, or try to summon, he'll feel the build up of power like he's about to cast the spell, but the backlash will suddenly hit him 10x worse than before and will be almost unbearably painful. It'll definitely keep him from casting more spells/the spells that are restricted. I also want to note that the use of his left arm (the arm the Brand is on) is prevalent in magic use. In other words, if he hurts his left arm to the point of being unable to raise it and exert some kind of force with it, he probably won't be able to use magic.
He will not have his armband, so his physical abilities will not be of superhuman levels any more. He's obscenely strong and resilient without it anyway, so he'll survive. (According to wiki, he's supposedly able to run full speed while carrying two people. He's never done so in the game, so I don't really... know where they're getting that from, but he's strong enough that doing so with one person isn't even an issue.) Most of his specialty moves from Commando and Sentinel are all things he can do perfectly without powers anyway (like provoking an enemy to attack him). Guarding abilities won't be of super proportions either, so although he can still take a good amount of hits, withstanding the amount of abuse he can in game is impossible.
Elaboration on Blizzard: I personally view Blizzard as a kind of energy shot. It's a ball of energy just a bit bigger than a fist that's shot out in a manner that's closer to him throwing a ball. So it isn't immensely big or anything. I would imagine getting hit by Blizzard would be the equivalent of being struck by a very, very strong punch. But since it has ice properties, it's kind of like a really COLD punch.
For the sake of understanding the amount of force it would likely be able to do, a child or smaller framed person might get knocked off their feet and onto their back from it, while a bigger framed individual would likely be forced to stumble back from it. This is why smaller monsters like a bat or a roach would likely be knocked away from their target/hurt to some degree, while bigger monsters would basically react as they would to a blunt force of that level.
Since Snow's a physical fighter anyway, the main purpose of using Blizzard would be to attack from a distance (ie. across the room, max), attack something in the air and out of reach, or trying to attack a swarm of something to get them to back off. I'm working under the assumption that the actual ice factor of it wouldn't do much unless it was some kind of cold-blooded animal or Heat in demon form or something else susceptible to cold. Anything not particularly weak to cold probably wouldn't suffer anything special due to the ice effect.
Other Abilities
Nothing that would be valid within damned-verse. Snow knows how to shoot and aim a gun with high enough accuracy and can use grenades properly. He can also operate and drive the many futuristic machines needed to get around, but he's no expert with machinery. I suppose it's worth saying that he does have really good fist fighting ability, though it's less actual technique and more raw physical power. That aside, he's basically just a kid who has no other training going for him. Poor guy.
Side Note
Snow's l'Cie Brand is going to be partially active. As stated in the third paragraph of the History, the l'Cie Brand tends to change over time, going through several phases before reaching the final stage (after which, time is up and the person becomes a monster). In Landel's, the Brand will not change with the passage of time. However, as in canon, the brand can and will shift to a new stage should he suffer some kind of extreme emotional or physical trauma. M-U sessions would do that as would something that really breaks him down psychologically. This really has no effect on the character except to have him look at it and go "Oh shit...." No matter how much trauma he goes through, the Brand will never reach the final stage, so he won't be turning into a monster in the institute. But he'll think otherwise.