[filtered from Kefka]

[knighted_lion]

What can you tell me about Kefka?

((This is mostly aimed at the FFVI cast, but since Squall figures other people might be interested in the answers, he's filtered so that pretty much everyone can see it. And if someone not from the FFVI cast has anything to say they're more than welcome to speak up~.))

Comments

[filter]

[bandana_blue]

Kefka was the best magic user in our world. Magic left us a thousand years ago, but the Empire managed to get their hands on some Espers and basically tortured and killed them for their life force. They practiced a few experiments on living people to try and give them "natural" powers at magic, and it worked a few times. Kefka was the first - Celes was the last, and when it came time for her, they'd made the procedure actually work correctly. But something about it was botched with Kefka, and we don't call him "psychotic clown" for nothing. The worst part is, even after he was proven sadistic and insane, he was given military command over part of the army and was chosen to act as a "diplomat" - which was basically the same as showing up and demanding surrender.

He built a device that held Terra in mind-control with no memories for years. He was one of the ones that condemned Celes to death for treason when she refused to follow a cruel order that would mean the deaths of many noncombatants. He literally made people lick his boots. He tried to destroy Figaro when Edgar and I wouldn't turn over Terra to him after she managed to escape. [Fortunately Figaro is Figaro, and the entire castle got away.] He killed an entire kingdom by poisoning their water supply after a higher-ranked member of the military refused to do so. He lured out and killed many more Espers and absorbed their powers, with the approval of Emperor Gestahl, killed the same military commander who had refused to poison Doma through treachery, killed Emperor Gestahl, created a floating continent, absorbed the powers of the three goddesses who had taken all the magic out of our world to begin with, and then wrecked the world to remake it in his own image, completely changing the topography and a lot of the landscape and killing plenty more people at the same time.

After that he built a ridiculously tall tower and sat on top of it, calling himself a god and gathering a brainwashed cult around him. Just for fun, sometimes he'd throw lightning down from the top of it to kill people or destroy more places. He also managed to mutate himself into the ugliest angelic figure I've ever considered and gave himself six wings on top of it all. I'd say that a quarter to a third - maybe even half - of my world's population died because of him or due to one of his actions or decisions. Those of us from his world are members of the Returners, a group opposed to and determined to topple the Empire, but Kefka became our main target when he went crazier than ever. We ended up killing him, but it wasn't easy.

And judging from the fact that he knew Celes had been accused of treason, I'd say he knows most of us at least and our opposition to him.

[Yeah, Locke totally overheard Celes' convo with the madman. Also, he's not saying, but Empires are generally "bad" - definitely implies conquest of some kind.]

[filter]

[knighted_lion]

Why would anyone give that sort of position to a madman?

[filter]

[bandana_blue]

Power, pure and simple. He thought he could control Kefka, and for awhile he did. And Kefka made the best tool for frightening others onto his side.

[filter]

[knighted_lion]

...That's how he got people to listen?

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[bandana_blue]

Blackmail, invasion, threats, the usual. There's a lot of damn good reasons the Returners were founded.

I'll offer you this - with so many kinds of magic flying around this place, there's gotta be someone here who can cast some kind of truth spell. Something that forces truth or detects lies, I don't care which, but find someone and I'll go under it in public. I'll repeat that entire story and you can see I'm not making it up, in front of witnesses.

[filter]

[knighted_lion]

...Returners?

If gets bad enough, maybe. Right now it's not necessary.

[filter]

[bandana_blue]

Us, our group. That was the name of our resistance faction, we're still kind of going by it now just to make things easier.

The offer's on the table if you want it. Doubt you'll get it from him, too.

[filter]

[knighted_lion]

If I find someone who can, I'll keep it in mind.