Poly Application -DONE-
[nick / name]: Gorse
[personal LJ name]: gorsecloud
[other characters currently played]: n/a
[e-mail]: ladygorse@gmail.com
[AIM / messenger]: gorsethewarrior
[series]: Tales of the Abyss
[character]: Jade Curtiss
[character history / background]: Here's his history at the Tales of Wiki, but it's rather incomplete, or at least it only goes to the very beginning of his involvement in the game, so I'll pick it up from there. (It also gets one major fact wrong, in that Jade was not the one who sealed away Nebilim's replica. It's stated in-game that the one who sealed her away was Field Marshal McGovern, because Nebilim's replica was the cause of the Serial Fonist Killings, which McGovern put a stop to. It also neglects to mention that at age eight, Jade applied a Fonic Sight arte to his eyes (which I explain fully in abilities).
In any case, picking up where the history left off...
Jade journeys with the party from St. Binah onward, finally rendezvousing with Anise at Kaitzur, and later to Choral Castle. However, at the Choral Castle itself, the party stumbles across a fomicry machine. At this point, Jade, who saw God-general Asch the Bloody's face onboard the Tartarus, already has had more than enough information to confirm (Luke's so-called "kidnapping" and "amnesia" - not to mention his childish behavior - his resemblance to Asch) that Luke is Asch's replica. Despite this, the presence of the fomicry machine startles and perturbs him. Despite all this, he does not reveal his conclusions, and instead continues with the party back to Baticul.
At Baticul, he presents the peace treaty to King Ingobert, and agrees to accompany the relief effort to Akzeriuth. Near the end of said journey, there were multiple incidents and delays, most of them revolving around Asch. Despite his earlier discovery, Jade continues to remain silent on the matter. However, when facing down Legretta the Quick in Deo Pass, Jade, for one of very few times in the game actually loses his temper and demands to know who resurrected the forbidden art (of fomicry on human beings, though he doesn't mention that part). Legretta does not answer, and immediately afterward Jade brushes off the party's questions and concerns.
Jade, along with the rest of the party, survives the fall of Akzeriuth because of the protection granted by Tear's fonic hymn. When the party confronts Luke about his role in the destruction of the city, Jade is one of the first people to leave the scene, impatient with Luke's attempts to deny responsibility. He chooses to return to the surface with Asch to discover more of what is going on. When Asch travels to Belkend, it is revealed to the party at large that he was once Dr. Jade Balfour, father of fomicry, and that he forbade the use of it on living beings. He also travelled with Asch to Ortion Cavern, where they discovered a cheagle and its replica, and the scale on which Van was trying to work fomicry.
When Ion and Natalia are captured by Mohs, Jade opts to go and wait for Guy at Aramis Spring while Anise remains behind to gather information. He returns with Guy, Tear and Luke in tow, and along with Anise rescue Ion and Natalia and opt to head to Grand Chokmah to continue their peace efforts there. On the journey over, the Tartarus is damaged, and the party stops at Jade's hometown of Keterburg to have it repaired. There, the party meets Jade's sister, Nephry. During their stay, Nephry reveals to Luke about Jade's past, his role in the death of Professor Nebilim, and his previous fascination with fomicry, in the hopes that Luke might prevent any kind of relapse. Jade discovers this and threatens swears Luke to secrecy on the matter.
Upon arrival at the military perimeter at Theor Forest, Jade goes ahead to prepare for the party's arrival in Grand Chokmah. He explains to Peony the situation and, later with Luke and the rest of the party (sans Guy, who is recovering from the curse slot) formulate the plan to rescue St. Binah. Once the civilians are rescued - a complicated process which involved going to Sheridan and actually getting a flying device to rescue the remaining citizens trapped in the city after it began to fall - and the city collapses into the Qliphoth, Jade scolds Luke for letting his emotions get out of control about the matter. At this point Field Marshal McGovern reassures Luke, saying that Jade wouldn't scold Luke if he hadn't grown fond of him. Jade protests this claim, though judging by his reactions and those of the rest of the party, there is some truth to what McGovern said.
Upon reaching Yulia City, they learn that there might be a way to save the city itself, by activating the Sephiroth in nearby Shurrey Hill. In the process of that activation, however, they discover that large areas may be supported by the sephiroth and other areas, such as the nearby village of Engeve, are in danger of falling as well. The party returns to the surface, only to find the war they tried to forestall has already begun in their absence. They split up, and Jade heads the party that escorted the villagers of Engeve across the battlefield to Chesedonia, while the other attempted to convince the Kimlascan side to negotiate a truce.
They met again at Chesedonia, the Engeve refugees safe and Natalia's efforts to stop the war fruitless, and discover that the land around Chesedonia was sinking, heralding its own fall into the Qliphoth. Upon realizing that Chesedonia had far too large a population to evacuate, Jade formulated a plan to use the Zao Ruins Sephiroth to lower the land slowly like an elevator, sparing not only the citizens in Chesedonia, but Engeve and the battlefield as well. The party journeys to Zao Ruins stopping to meet briefly with Asch along the way, and enact the plan. The plan seems to work without incident, but in the immediate aftermath, they discover that the entirety of the Outer Lands may be in danger of falling soon, as the strain of holding them up becomes too much for the Sephiroth.
The party journeys to Daath in the hopes of consulting with Ion to see if the lands falling and the Sephiroth going out of control are part of Yulia's Score, given that Ion can access all of the Order of Lorelei's secrets. Ion's reading of the Score reveals that, not only is there nothing about the lands falling, there is nothing about Luke. This was concrete proof in the eyes of the party that the Score had gone off track and should no longer be relied upon. Upon attempting to escape Daath without being discovered, the party is captured and taken to Baticul, where Jade is likely imprisoned in the castle dungeons along with Guy, Tear and Anise. Asch breaks them out, they rescue Luke and Natalia and flee Baticul with the help of its civilians.
The party flees across Inista Marsh to Belkend, where the party meets Van after Luke is mistaken for Asch. There, they begin to learn some of Van's true objective - to free the world from its dependency on Yulia's Score. Deeming the party as no threat, even after Asch arrives, Van allows them to leave. Asch gives a forbidden text on the world's history and the Planet Storm to Jade for study. Upon reading the book, Jade discovers the origin of the miasma is due to vibrations deep within the planet's core, and the only way to stop the maisma would be to stop the core or to build a device that would neutralize these vibrations.
The party collaborates with the researchers from Belkend to build the device and the party sets off to get Ion, given that they need a measurement of the core's vibration in order to correctly program the device that would neutralize the vibrations. They return with the measurements, and Luke proposes that they go to the leaders of Kimlasca and Malkuth, rather than just lowering the lands on their own.
When the world leaders finally gather for the summit in Yulia City, just as the agreement is about to be signed, Guy pulls out his sword on Ingobert, in an attempt to discover why there was an attack on his homeland of Hod. Jade and Peony then reveal that it was Malkuth, not Kimlasca, who destroyed Hod, in an attempt to prevent the fomicry facilities on the island from being discovered.
With the agreement signed and the meeting adjourned, the party returns to Sheridan, and begins the operation to put the device in the core. Despite Van's attempts to prevent it from working, the operation, once begun, goes smoothly, until they reach the core. There, they battle with Sync, and Lorelei, the aggregate sentience of the Seventh Fonon possesses Tear and requests to be freed from the core. The party escapes and goes to Belkend and continues their plans to lower the Sephiroth. At the Meggiora Highlands Sephiroth, Jade formulates a plan to help contain the miasma in the core, by using the dividing line once all the lands are lowered, and later at the Mt. Roneal Sephiroth, it is he who realizes that Van has rigged the Sephiroth so that connecting them together will cause them to fall, and that they may not have time to complete their plans as originally thought.
In the night before the lowering the Outer Lands, Jade talks with Luke about his nightmare and resolve to change, and how - in his own way - he's impressed by the growth that Luke has shown, and Luke's ability to recognize the value of life. He also admits that he's learned a great deal by watching Luke.
The party fights with Van, wins, and succeeds in lowering the Outer Lands. In the month that follows, Jade returns to his duties as a colonel of the Malkuth military. Upon receiving a report that the Chesedonian regional forces were attacked, Jade travels to St. Binah, where he meets with the party. He then joins the party in order to try to discover who was behind the attack, given how if they could not find a third party, it could lead to renewed hostilities between Malkuth and Kimlasca.
Their searching leads them to Daath, where the miasma suddenly returns and Anise betrays the party, taking Ion with Mohs to the Sephiroth in Mt. Zaleho. By the time the party catches up with them, it's too late, and Ion, unstable from being forced to read the Score by Mohs, dies.
The party continues to Belkend to discover why the miasma has returned. There, they discover that people are becoming sick and dying due to symptoms that Jade recognizes as extraction of fomicry data. They also hear the beginning of a potential plan to neutralize the miasma with hyperresonance, specifically Luke or Asch's. However, Jade does his best to dissuade Luke of this plan, telling him that it would result in his own death and the deaths of ten thousand others.
Jade travels with the party as they attempt to catch up to Asch and learn what he meant about Lorelei being trapped, set up a summit between the world powers regarding the Score, follow the trail of someone illegally reading the Score - who actually turns out to be Sync extracting fomicry data from the people - and attempt to discover Natalia's true lineage. The party discovers that Van is very much alive, and attempting to create a replica world and destroy the current one in order to free it from the Score. They destroy Van's replica facilities at Feres Island, but are too late to stop a whole flood of replicas from being created.
Asch catches wind of the plan to neutralize the maisma via hyperresonance, and sets off with the intention of doing so himself, using the replicas who are currently gathered at Tower of Rem to fuel it. Luke, upon finding this out, finds himself faced with the decision whether to try and go in Asch's place. While he deliberates, Jade speaks with Luke frankly about it, pointing out bluntly that the advantages of Luke sacrificing himself were massive for the world at large. But at the same time, Jade admitted that he viewed Luke as a friend, and while he could not make the decision for Luke, he would feel compelled to try and stop him.
When Luke makes the decision to die, Jade supports him, even holding Asch back when Asch attempts to stop Luke. After Luke somehow miraculously survives, Jade insists he get a medical checkup in Belkend. After the checkup, though Luke claims he is fine, Jade sees through his facade and confronts Luke, who asks that Jade keep quiet. Jade agrees to do so, but warns Luke to take care of himself and avoid using his hyperresonance.
And it's right after that point that I'm taking him from.
[character abilities]: Jade's Artes
It's stated in-game that Jade is able to control all of the first six fonon types at prodigious levels, even though only the second-fifth are represented among his artes. There is also his Fonic Sight, which allows him to gather fonons at a much faster rate, and is not an arte that most ordinary people can use, and is still quite dangerous. It is why his eyes are red, as well as why wears glasses - they act as a power limiter on the Fonic Sight. His eyesight is actually above average.
[character personality]:
Jade describes himself as a cold individual. Indeed, he keeps his emotions under rigid control, rarely ever letting them show, even hiding them under a mask. Multiple characters have stated in-game that they find it impossible to figure out what is going on in Jade's mind. At times he will be serious, at other times mocking or condescending, easily switching between the two without warning. He's not much for sentimentality either. He's made some grave errors in the past - killing his teacher, irresponsibly and single-mindedly pursuing fomicry research in order to revive her - but he does not dwell or angst over them. He accepts them, resolves to try to correct and contain the consequences of his actions. At times he may seem uncaring or unconcerned, to the point of being brutal. Multiple times throughout the game, characters question his seriousness about the subject at hand. At almost every occasion, he affirms that he is indeed being quite serious.
As probably the most intelligent member of the main party, Jade will often come up with plans and ideas and theories that the party later implements in their efforts to save Auldrant. However, he will withold information if he isn't sure of his results, or he feels that revealing his knowledge will create more problems than it will solve at that point in time. He does on occasion offer opinions on the situation at hand, and when he does, he can be brutally honest. He can be tactful, but he is not always sensitive, and if something needs to be said, he will say it, whether the person being spoken to wants to hear it or not.
He's practical to the point of being extreme. Logic and intelligence clearly overrule emotions and passion. While he considers morality and honor and associated concepts to be valuable traits - though he never really applies them to himself - this only holds so long as such traits do not interfere with one's ability to do what is necessary. A good example would be Luke's aversion to killing - while he openly admits that it is an admirable trait, his attitude towards Luke is subtly mocking and condescending until Luke makes his resolve to fight, not be a burden and deal with the consequences. He's also not above doing immoral things if he feels it would be disadvantageous to do otherwise - such as his willingness to kill the unarmed and unconscious Arietta, in order to prevent her from coming after and attempting to kill them again. He even takes this to a petty level, occasionally, such as feigning old age and physical incompetence in order to get out of physical labor - such as pushing boxes around.
Mortality, and the concepts associated with it, are foreign to Jade. He understands them academically, of course, but beyond that, it's something he fails to grasp. It's a problem that has been present all his life. As a child, his sister Nephry describes how he would kill monsters - even harmless ones - for fun. He later admits to being - in his own way - impressed with Luke's ability to recognize the value of life and what it means for people to die.
He also has little patience for explaining, teaching, and overall seems to be much more a proponent of people allowing people to figure things out on their own, provided their lack of knowledge would not become a hindrance. There are times where only he is able to provide the necessary information, and if necessary he will do so; otherwise, however, he will let them figure it out, or else delegate explanations to another member of the party - particularly Guy. It's not that he can't do so, as proven early on in the game, it's just that he dislikes doing so.
Jade regards himself with a surprising amount of self-awareness. He is aware both of his incredible intelligence and his almost inhuman emotional detachment from things - calling himself an "inhuman monster" at least once. He treats his mistakes and history with that same clarity, knowing the problems he's caused with the creation of fomicry and other technologies. Given how his irresponsibility in his youth caused a large number of these problems, Jade has particularly high disdain for those who do not accept the consequences of their actions. This was a key factor in his original distaste for Luke after the fall of Akzeriuth.
With the prodigious amount of power he has, he's fully aware that he can't allow his emotions to run rampant - perhaps is even afraid (as much as Jade can be afraid, at least) of the consequences if he were to do so. Because of Jade's overall attitude, some of his most remarkable points are when he does allow those emotions to show - getting nervous upon seeing the fomicry machine in Choral Castle, angry at Legretta when questioning her about the revival of fomicry, or even admitting that he sees Luke as a friend and regretting the decision being forced upon him before the Tower of Rem. In the end, it proves that, for all his claims of being an inhuman monster, there is still an element of humanity to him, even if he rarely shows it.
[point in timeline you're picking your character from]: Post Tower of Rem, after confronting Luke about his true diagnosis
[journal post]:
[The voice that comes across the feed is almost irritatingly calm, as if Jade hadn't just been rudely pulled from wherever he was just moments previously to... here.]
I can only assume this is some sort of communication device. Seeing as I've just arrived, I'm afraid I have a few questions for whoever this message might be reaching.
I'm not aware of any technology such as this device, nor do I seem to be familiar at all with my surroundings. Given this information, I can only assume I'm on some sort of other world. Either that, or I've somehow been transported back to the Dawn Age.
In any case, there are a few things I need to confirm. As I've said, I'm not familiar with my current location. I'm also unsure at this time whether I am here by myself, or if any others from the group I was traveling with are here. I also need to know if there is any way to undo whatever process has brought me here. Not that this whole thing isn't interesting, but I have other things I need to attend to where I was previously.
[And with that. The feed shuts off.]
[third person / log sample]:
Really, when he'd suggested Luke get a medical checkup at Belkend, he could have hoped that the redheaded replica would return with a clean bill of health and they could all move on, putting the whole matter behind them. But he knew better, and so, he suspected, did Luke himself. He'd noted - with his usual eye for detail - how Luke had been preoccupied with his left hand at the Tower of Rem. Luke's should not have survived neutralizing the maisma. It would be foolish to think he had escaped all repercussions for his actions.
Not that he'd said as much, on the flight over. It wasn't fact, and Luke had shown an incredible tendency to deny the odds before now. The others in their group had still been in a kind of excited daze, hardly daring to believe that he was still with them. Jade himself had said little, though he did keep an eye on the head of red hair. There was no point in ruining the high morale with unproven speculation.
However, his suspicions that Luke knew the truth of his condition had only been strengthened when Luke requested that he hear the results of his medical examination alone.
They'd gone back to the inn, talking and chatting idly, all their minds one one particular person, and Jade couldn't help but wonder if they too suspected that not all was well. He did, but then again, he was always a terribly cold and practical person about things like this. The power of the mind to see what it wanted to see was vast, and none of them really wanted Luke to die. Not even him, he had to admit.
Then Luke finally walked through the door. Finally faced them. Jade only watched. The hesitation, the faintly uncomfortable look... no... Luke might fool the others - he must have practiced, or planned what he was going to say, given how poor a liar Luke was normally - but no, he did not fool Jade.
All was not well.
[personal LJ name]: gorsecloud
[other characters currently played]: n/a
[e-mail]: ladygorse@gmail.com
[AIM / messenger]: gorsethewarrior
[series]: Tales of the Abyss
[character]: Jade Curtiss
[character history / background]: Here's his history at the Tales of Wiki, but it's rather incomplete, or at least it only goes to the very beginning of his involvement in the game, so I'll pick it up from there. (It also gets one major fact wrong, in that Jade was not the one who sealed away Nebilim's replica. It's stated in-game that the one who sealed her away was Field Marshal McGovern, because Nebilim's replica was the cause of the Serial Fonist Killings, which McGovern put a stop to. It also neglects to mention that at age eight, Jade applied a Fonic Sight arte to his eyes (which I explain fully in abilities).
In any case, picking up where the history left off...
Jade journeys with the party from St. Binah onward, finally rendezvousing with Anise at Kaitzur, and later to Choral Castle. However, at the Choral Castle itself, the party stumbles across a fomicry machine. At this point, Jade, who saw God-general Asch the Bloody's face onboard the Tartarus, already has had more than enough information to confirm (Luke's so-called "kidnapping" and "amnesia" - not to mention his childish behavior - his resemblance to Asch) that Luke is Asch's replica. Despite this, the presence of the fomicry machine startles and perturbs him. Despite all this, he does not reveal his conclusions, and instead continues with the party back to Baticul.
At Baticul, he presents the peace treaty to King Ingobert, and agrees to accompany the relief effort to Akzeriuth. Near the end of said journey, there were multiple incidents and delays, most of them revolving around Asch. Despite his earlier discovery, Jade continues to remain silent on the matter. However, when facing down Legretta the Quick in Deo Pass, Jade, for one of very few times in the game actually loses his temper and demands to know who resurrected the forbidden art (of fomicry on human beings, though he doesn't mention that part). Legretta does not answer, and immediately afterward Jade brushes off the party's questions and concerns.
Jade, along with the rest of the party, survives the fall of Akzeriuth because of the protection granted by Tear's fonic hymn. When the party confronts Luke about his role in the destruction of the city, Jade is one of the first people to leave the scene, impatient with Luke's attempts to deny responsibility. He chooses to return to the surface with Asch to discover more of what is going on. When Asch travels to Belkend, it is revealed to the party at large that he was once Dr. Jade Balfour, father of fomicry, and that he forbade the use of it on living beings. He also travelled with Asch to Ortion Cavern, where they discovered a cheagle and its replica, and the scale on which Van was trying to work fomicry.
When Ion and Natalia are captured by Mohs, Jade opts to go and wait for Guy at Aramis Spring while Anise remains behind to gather information. He returns with Guy, Tear and Luke in tow, and along with Anise rescue Ion and Natalia and opt to head to Grand Chokmah to continue their peace efforts there. On the journey over, the Tartarus is damaged, and the party stops at Jade's hometown of Keterburg to have it repaired. There, the party meets Jade's sister, Nephry. During their stay, Nephry reveals to Luke about Jade's past, his role in the death of Professor Nebilim, and his previous fascination with fomicry, in the hopes that Luke might prevent any kind of relapse. Jade discovers this and threatens swears Luke to secrecy on the matter.
Upon arrival at the military perimeter at Theor Forest, Jade goes ahead to prepare for the party's arrival in Grand Chokmah. He explains to Peony the situation and, later with Luke and the rest of the party (sans Guy, who is recovering from the curse slot) formulate the plan to rescue St. Binah. Once the civilians are rescued - a complicated process which involved going to Sheridan and actually getting a flying device to rescue the remaining citizens trapped in the city after it began to fall - and the city collapses into the Qliphoth, Jade scolds Luke for letting his emotions get out of control about the matter. At this point Field Marshal McGovern reassures Luke, saying that Jade wouldn't scold Luke if he hadn't grown fond of him. Jade protests this claim, though judging by his reactions and those of the rest of the party, there is some truth to what McGovern said.
Upon reaching Yulia City, they learn that there might be a way to save the city itself, by activating the Sephiroth in nearby Shurrey Hill. In the process of that activation, however, they discover that large areas may be supported by the sephiroth and other areas, such as the nearby village of Engeve, are in danger of falling as well. The party returns to the surface, only to find the war they tried to forestall has already begun in their absence. They split up, and Jade heads the party that escorted the villagers of Engeve across the battlefield to Chesedonia, while the other attempted to convince the Kimlascan side to negotiate a truce.
They met again at Chesedonia, the Engeve refugees safe and Natalia's efforts to stop the war fruitless, and discover that the land around Chesedonia was sinking, heralding its own fall into the Qliphoth. Upon realizing that Chesedonia had far too large a population to evacuate, Jade formulated a plan to use the Zao Ruins Sephiroth to lower the land slowly like an elevator, sparing not only the citizens in Chesedonia, but Engeve and the battlefield as well. The party journeys to Zao Ruins stopping to meet briefly with Asch along the way, and enact the plan. The plan seems to work without incident, but in the immediate aftermath, they discover that the entirety of the Outer Lands may be in danger of falling soon, as the strain of holding them up becomes too much for the Sephiroth.
The party journeys to Daath in the hopes of consulting with Ion to see if the lands falling and the Sephiroth going out of control are part of Yulia's Score, given that Ion can access all of the Order of Lorelei's secrets. Ion's reading of the Score reveals that, not only is there nothing about the lands falling, there is nothing about Luke. This was concrete proof in the eyes of the party that the Score had gone off track and should no longer be relied upon. Upon attempting to escape Daath without being discovered, the party is captured and taken to Baticul, where Jade is likely imprisoned in the castle dungeons along with Guy, Tear and Anise. Asch breaks them out, they rescue Luke and Natalia and flee Baticul with the help of its civilians.
The party flees across Inista Marsh to Belkend, where the party meets Van after Luke is mistaken for Asch. There, they begin to learn some of Van's true objective - to free the world from its dependency on Yulia's Score. Deeming the party as no threat, even after Asch arrives, Van allows them to leave. Asch gives a forbidden text on the world's history and the Planet Storm to Jade for study. Upon reading the book, Jade discovers the origin of the miasma is due to vibrations deep within the planet's core, and the only way to stop the maisma would be to stop the core or to build a device that would neutralize these vibrations.
The party collaborates with the researchers from Belkend to build the device and the party sets off to get Ion, given that they need a measurement of the core's vibration in order to correctly program the device that would neutralize the vibrations. They return with the measurements, and Luke proposes that they go to the leaders of Kimlasca and Malkuth, rather than just lowering the lands on their own.
When the world leaders finally gather for the summit in Yulia City, just as the agreement is about to be signed, Guy pulls out his sword on Ingobert, in an attempt to discover why there was an attack on his homeland of Hod. Jade and Peony then reveal that it was Malkuth, not Kimlasca, who destroyed Hod, in an attempt to prevent the fomicry facilities on the island from being discovered.
With the agreement signed and the meeting adjourned, the party returns to Sheridan, and begins the operation to put the device in the core. Despite Van's attempts to prevent it from working, the operation, once begun, goes smoothly, until they reach the core. There, they battle with Sync, and Lorelei, the aggregate sentience of the Seventh Fonon possesses Tear and requests to be freed from the core. The party escapes and goes to Belkend and continues their plans to lower the Sephiroth. At the Meggiora Highlands Sephiroth, Jade formulates a plan to help contain the miasma in the core, by using the dividing line once all the lands are lowered, and later at the Mt. Roneal Sephiroth, it is he who realizes that Van has rigged the Sephiroth so that connecting them together will cause them to fall, and that they may not have time to complete their plans as originally thought.
In the night before the lowering the Outer Lands, Jade talks with Luke about his nightmare and resolve to change, and how - in his own way - he's impressed by the growth that Luke has shown, and Luke's ability to recognize the value of life. He also admits that he's learned a great deal by watching Luke.
The party fights with Van, wins, and succeeds in lowering the Outer Lands. In the month that follows, Jade returns to his duties as a colonel of the Malkuth military. Upon receiving a report that the Chesedonian regional forces were attacked, Jade travels to St. Binah, where he meets with the party. He then joins the party in order to try to discover who was behind the attack, given how if they could not find a third party, it could lead to renewed hostilities between Malkuth and Kimlasca.
Their searching leads them to Daath, where the miasma suddenly returns and Anise betrays the party, taking Ion with Mohs to the Sephiroth in Mt. Zaleho. By the time the party catches up with them, it's too late, and Ion, unstable from being forced to read the Score by Mohs, dies.
The party continues to Belkend to discover why the miasma has returned. There, they discover that people are becoming sick and dying due to symptoms that Jade recognizes as extraction of fomicry data. They also hear the beginning of a potential plan to neutralize the miasma with hyperresonance, specifically Luke or Asch's. However, Jade does his best to dissuade Luke of this plan, telling him that it would result in his own death and the deaths of ten thousand others.
Jade travels with the party as they attempt to catch up to Asch and learn what he meant about Lorelei being trapped, set up a summit between the world powers regarding the Score, follow the trail of someone illegally reading the Score - who actually turns out to be Sync extracting fomicry data from the people - and attempt to discover Natalia's true lineage. The party discovers that Van is very much alive, and attempting to create a replica world and destroy the current one in order to free it from the Score. They destroy Van's replica facilities at Feres Island, but are too late to stop a whole flood of replicas from being created.
Asch catches wind of the plan to neutralize the maisma via hyperresonance, and sets off with the intention of doing so himself, using the replicas who are currently gathered at Tower of Rem to fuel it. Luke, upon finding this out, finds himself faced with the decision whether to try and go in Asch's place. While he deliberates, Jade speaks with Luke frankly about it, pointing out bluntly that the advantages of Luke sacrificing himself were massive for the world at large. But at the same time, Jade admitted that he viewed Luke as a friend, and while he could not make the decision for Luke, he would feel compelled to try and stop him.
When Luke makes the decision to die, Jade supports him, even holding Asch back when Asch attempts to stop Luke. After Luke somehow miraculously survives, Jade insists he get a medical checkup in Belkend. After the checkup, though Luke claims he is fine, Jade sees through his facade and confronts Luke, who asks that Jade keep quiet. Jade agrees to do so, but warns Luke to take care of himself and avoid using his hyperresonance.
And it's right after that point that I'm taking him from.
[character abilities]: Jade's Artes
It's stated in-game that Jade is able to control all of the first six fonon types at prodigious levels, even though only the second-fifth are represented among his artes. There is also his Fonic Sight, which allows him to gather fonons at a much faster rate, and is not an arte that most ordinary people can use, and is still quite dangerous. It is why his eyes are red, as well as why wears glasses - they act as a power limiter on the Fonic Sight. His eyesight is actually above average.
[character personality]:
Jade describes himself as a cold individual. Indeed, he keeps his emotions under rigid control, rarely ever letting them show, even hiding them under a mask. Multiple characters have stated in-game that they find it impossible to figure out what is going on in Jade's mind. At times he will be serious, at other times mocking or condescending, easily switching between the two without warning. He's not much for sentimentality either. He's made some grave errors in the past - killing his teacher, irresponsibly and single-mindedly pursuing fomicry research in order to revive her - but he does not dwell or angst over them. He accepts them, resolves to try to correct and contain the consequences of his actions. At times he may seem uncaring or unconcerned, to the point of being brutal. Multiple times throughout the game, characters question his seriousness about the subject at hand. At almost every occasion, he affirms that he is indeed being quite serious.
As probably the most intelligent member of the main party, Jade will often come up with plans and ideas and theories that the party later implements in their efforts to save Auldrant. However, he will withold information if he isn't sure of his results, or he feels that revealing his knowledge will create more problems than it will solve at that point in time. He does on occasion offer opinions on the situation at hand, and when he does, he can be brutally honest. He can be tactful, but he is not always sensitive, and if something needs to be said, he will say it, whether the person being spoken to wants to hear it or not.
He's practical to the point of being extreme. Logic and intelligence clearly overrule emotions and passion. While he considers morality and honor and associated concepts to be valuable traits - though he never really applies them to himself - this only holds so long as such traits do not interfere with one's ability to do what is necessary. A good example would be Luke's aversion to killing - while he openly admits that it is an admirable trait, his attitude towards Luke is subtly mocking and condescending until Luke makes his resolve to fight, not be a burden and deal with the consequences. He's also not above doing immoral things if he feels it would be disadvantageous to do otherwise - such as his willingness to kill the unarmed and unconscious Arietta, in order to prevent her from coming after and attempting to kill them again. He even takes this to a petty level, occasionally, such as feigning old age and physical incompetence in order to get out of physical labor - such as pushing boxes around.
Mortality, and the concepts associated with it, are foreign to Jade. He understands them academically, of course, but beyond that, it's something he fails to grasp. It's a problem that has been present all his life. As a child, his sister Nephry describes how he would kill monsters - even harmless ones - for fun. He later admits to being - in his own way - impressed with Luke's ability to recognize the value of life and what it means for people to die.
He also has little patience for explaining, teaching, and overall seems to be much more a proponent of people allowing people to figure things out on their own, provided their lack of knowledge would not become a hindrance. There are times where only he is able to provide the necessary information, and if necessary he will do so; otherwise, however, he will let them figure it out, or else delegate explanations to another member of the party - particularly Guy. It's not that he can't do so, as proven early on in the game, it's just that he dislikes doing so.
Jade regards himself with a surprising amount of self-awareness. He is aware both of his incredible intelligence and his almost inhuman emotional detachment from things - calling himself an "inhuman monster" at least once. He treats his mistakes and history with that same clarity, knowing the problems he's caused with the creation of fomicry and other technologies. Given how his irresponsibility in his youth caused a large number of these problems, Jade has particularly high disdain for those who do not accept the consequences of their actions. This was a key factor in his original distaste for Luke after the fall of Akzeriuth.
With the prodigious amount of power he has, he's fully aware that he can't allow his emotions to run rampant - perhaps is even afraid (as much as Jade can be afraid, at least) of the consequences if he were to do so. Because of Jade's overall attitude, some of his most remarkable points are when he does allow those emotions to show - getting nervous upon seeing the fomicry machine in Choral Castle, angry at Legretta when questioning her about the revival of fomicry, or even admitting that he sees Luke as a friend and regretting the decision being forced upon him before the Tower of Rem. In the end, it proves that, for all his claims of being an inhuman monster, there is still an element of humanity to him, even if he rarely shows it.
[point in timeline you're picking your character from]: Post Tower of Rem, after confronting Luke about his true diagnosis
[journal post]:
[The voice that comes across the feed is almost irritatingly calm, as if Jade hadn't just been rudely pulled from wherever he was just moments previously to... here.]
I can only assume this is some sort of communication device. Seeing as I've just arrived, I'm afraid I have a few questions for whoever this message might be reaching.
I'm not aware of any technology such as this device, nor do I seem to be familiar at all with my surroundings. Given this information, I can only assume I'm on some sort of other world. Either that, or I've somehow been transported back to the Dawn Age.
In any case, there are a few things I need to confirm. As I've said, I'm not familiar with my current location. I'm also unsure at this time whether I am here by myself, or if any others from the group I was traveling with are here. I also need to know if there is any way to undo whatever process has brought me here. Not that this whole thing isn't interesting, but I have other things I need to attend to where I was previously.
[And with that. The feed shuts off.]
[third person / log sample]:
Really, when he'd suggested Luke get a medical checkup at Belkend, he could have hoped that the redheaded replica would return with a clean bill of health and they could all move on, putting the whole matter behind them. But he knew better, and so, he suspected, did Luke himself. He'd noted - with his usual eye for detail - how Luke had been preoccupied with his left hand at the Tower of Rem. Luke's should not have survived neutralizing the maisma. It would be foolish to think he had escaped all repercussions for his actions.
Not that he'd said as much, on the flight over. It wasn't fact, and Luke had shown an incredible tendency to deny the odds before now. The others in their group had still been in a kind of excited daze, hardly daring to believe that he was still with them. Jade himself had said little, though he did keep an eye on the head of red hair. There was no point in ruining the high morale with unproven speculation.
However, his suspicions that Luke knew the truth of his condition had only been strengthened when Luke requested that he hear the results of his medical examination alone.
They'd gone back to the inn, talking and chatting idly, all their minds one one particular person, and Jade couldn't help but wonder if they too suspected that not all was well. He did, but then again, he was always a terribly cold and practical person about things like this. The power of the mind to see what it wanted to see was vast, and none of them really wanted Luke to die. Not even him, he had to admit.
Then Luke finally walked through the door. Finally faced them. Jade only watched. The hesitation, the faintly uncomfortable look... no... Luke might fool the others - he must have practiced, or planned what he was going to say, given how poor a liar Luke was normally - but no, he did not fool Jade.
All was not well.